The Featured Pontiled Soda ...
The FPS continues into 2013 with a growing archive of rare soda images to add. Email me at wil@mywebmarket.com with descriptions and photos of your rare or unlisted sodas, and we will feature them here.
2013
November: Peter Mass sent the porter of a lifetime, this unlisted Blossom Badger Ale. As if the only mint example in the known mold wasn't spectacular enough, to have a variant of it is just mind boggling.
October: We've all seen Lamppins, and they're NICE ... but even a damaged porter like this one causes bottle envy. Unfortunately, I couldn't go that high just for the opportunity to repair it, but it seems at least 2 people understand rarity.
September: Philly keeps coughing up rare early sodas. I've had some great Moon's, but certainly none like this one. I think the CR digging crew was responsible, and the hammer price appears to validate my conviction.
August: Here's an early Philly soda that further supports the "Druggist as the pioneer of soda waters" theory. This F. Brown really needs no further explanation that the comments in the listing.
July: I could not find an example of this apparently unique Philly porter anywhere, and even with the lip damage, I'd say someone did well on this one,
June: I did have to look twice at this early Eagle soda since there are a few very similar molds out there, but this one must be very rare, and quite early..
May: Here's one that put me back to work, literally. I just can't miss a soda this rare again for under a grand, and just didn't have the cash (or desire to rack up more debt) in May for this one.
April: Here's another new Philly soda known in smooth base but new to the iron pontil world as far as I know. They just keep coming from Philly..
March: Here's another oversized sided Heiiss soda with the abbreviated "RETURND" being used again, two from Baltimore, a Buffalo and Philly bottler.
February: Here's another variant (or incorrect listing of APS #844, a sided RAPP & C'S oversized soda or mineral. Damaged but what a great repair candidate.
January: After a trip back to the "Fatherland" for the holidays, I picked up two unembossed Baltimore blanks from Federal Hill which I did not know existed, in 2 EXOTIC colors that I did not yet have. Can you say orgasm?
2012
December: To finish the year we go back to another older listing for a HEDLUND which turns out to be a little different than expected when examining the pic. See the details in the comments section.
November: Going back to a listing from the 2010 Mobile Bottle show, a severely cracked bottle was sold before I could come back to photograph it. Another example, also damaged, then appeared on ebay- the rare C & M from Troy.
October: October gives us what I consider to be the most important, early mineral to surface in a decade. Possibly the earliest New England mineral on record, and certainly the earliest to feature a street address.
September: While aqua pontiled sodas don't usualy cause too much excitement, this one from the small Indiana town of Goshen certainly deserves to be recognized as a (formerly) unlisted pontiled soda.
August: Sometimes we go back to a listing with no pic and later add the pic, as was the case with this rare B & H soda. I had only seen the bottom two thirds of one, in 2008, and was happy to see a whole one in 2012.
July: The Tallahassee show presented an unlisted color for an already rare Baltimore dime-shoulder porter which I had a green example of. The show yeilded TWO iron pontil Baltimore porters, both from Greg Pla.
June: This G. C. March & Co. soda was listed in the medicine section of eBay, so a few may have missed it. It was not in Tod's database (nor mine). A true unlisted soda for June 2012..
May: This McCloud & Wheaton seems, upon close examination, to be of a more squat form than the known soda form from Tod's database. I'd have to be holding them side by side, but I think it's an unlisted soda.
April: This FISCHER mineral is just outrageous with its early lager form, gorgeous teal color and misspelled town. Research indicates it dates to 1858-59, but it looks much earlier. A late addition to the Illinois bottle book.
March: This FRASER soda just concluded it's run at Glassworks. Though I have a perfect Fraser & Co listed and pictured, it's the one without the "& Co." that neither I nor Tod have listed. A minor mold modification equals an unlisted variant..
February: This SIMES egg soda was a surprise to me. This is one that crosses into the smooth base era, but could well have preceded his iron pontiled drug store soda. Another druggist dabbling in the soda trade.
January: This is the 4th Lomax variant to be embossed in the chamfored corner frame design. If you compare closely the other three, you'll see it's yet a 4th, in what is a somewhat unique mold design in and of itself.
2011
December: A very pricey E.C. WARE soda was floated on Ebay in December. Quite a prolific bottler, both in Lancaster in Philly. But that example is a known variant. I thought I'd end the year with an unlisted one. Merry Christmas!
November: The first I'd heard of COLE & DEAN was the porter I fell asleep on at eBay which later hit big at GW. Then this one shows up on eBay in a mug based variant. What a month!
October: Here's another rare one. This porter also sold at a private auction in 2010. I had forgotten to even list it until today, but luckily saved the photo. Another rare brilliant yellow-green Pittsburgh style porter.
September: Here's a super rare one. This soda sold at a private auction in 2010. I don't think it is listed anywhere, and I had forgotten about it, thinking I listed it months ago. A rare beauty.
August: Part II of the July pair includes a response from C.R., and a new, unlisted Federal Hill porter. Also some information that leads me to believe that two other variants were mistaken for one, with more findings to follow.
July: A departure from the norm as I wind down after the Tallahassee show and work on repairs. First, a couple of Federal Hill porters that are little known, if not unlisted on the web, and who may have close relatives.
June: A rare torpedo recently sold at a major auction. Only two or three whole examples are known, so it's not exactly unlisted, but ... what I discovered about the bottles possible origins were unknown to the auctioneer..
May: I have seen enough of this distinctive embossing style over the years to take a stab at attribution. Note the top style, which is nearly identical to an egg I currently have for sale. This early Lockport egg hit the roof on Ebay.
April: Though it's a known pontiled soda, the small letter Schlepegrell is rare enough that few have seen one outside of Charelston. Note the similarity in mold design and lip between this bottle and another Southern FPS.
March: In case someone missed this absolute CRYER on eBay a few months back, here it is, an extremely rare Johnstown, Pa. soda which would be a sight to behold if a whole example does exist.
February: Last month, Chris Whitehurst sent in pics of a rare Wilmington, North Carolina pontiled beer. This extremely rare undamaged example confirms the double taper top variant..
January: This rare slug plate C. Clark mold is known, but when the blank slug plate just sold for $131 on eBay with lip damage, it reminded me of the perfect one I sold years ago, dug in a Pratt street saloon privy by Bill Hubble.
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