Well, it would've been too cool if this one had survived its dip in the wet privy pool ! Yesterday was the first time I'd ever turned pieces of this extremely rare glob-top fifth. At first I wasn't even sure which fifth it was, then my partner pointed out the diamonds on the sides, and that put us on the right track of diamonds...... to jewels. Only got about 2/3's of it, but that was enough to get the blood pumping, as it came out soon and up high in the hole. Of course there's always some kind of a "hook" to get you to dig a nasty or difficult hole, but it's usually not of such a high caliber as a John S. Bowman Jewel Old Bourbon Sole Agents S.F.
The bottom layer was '70's, but no bourbons were to be found from that era.... not even pcs. The guy was strictly a wino and an ale drinker in the '70's. The Jewel may have been a gift from someone to celebrate a birth or something in 1886, as this bottle was made only in that year. Surely if he was a real bourbon drinker, a few Cutters or Moore's would've been part of the mix !
The base has a dimple in the center of an 8-pointed ray or star. These appear to be "western blown", as the glass became very sparkley after scrubbing the mud off, and the star is similar to those found on earlier Western unembossed fifths. My count is seven intact examples of the Jewel Old Bourbon. There is also a very similar amber pint coffin flask, but for some reason is embossed "Old Jewel Bourbon" instead of "Jewel Old Bourbon". This brand has a really crazy distribution pattern (basically no pattern at all ! ), as whole examples of the flask and fifth have turned-up mostly on singular occasions all from different towns throughout Ca, Nv, and
Az. I'm not aware of any being found in different holes in the same town.
Az. I'm not aware of any being found in different holes in the same town.
