Possible bottle id?

[hihosilver]

I dug up a bottle a while ago while clearing out a pretty old building, and was wondering if anyone could shed a bit more light on it please. Here are a couple of pics:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/ ... C00047.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/ ... C00049.jpg

The boot (size 9) is just to give some sense of scale. And then the second pic is a closeup of the neck with a few markings. It's fairly large but it's also quite light in weight. I'm assuming the 25,0 on the side means 25 litres, but there's also a little mark next to that which looks a bit like a bell shape. Possibly a markers mark? I've always assumed it was a demijohn for wine or beer but never been sure. If anyone could help me with a rough date and it's original use I'd be very grateful. Thanks.

[sugar]

is it not what they used to call a cider flagon??????? demijohn or carboy we used to have one when i was a child and we kept loose change in it

[THE MOLE]

bottle garden maybe they where all the rage a few years ago i remember them sellin ones very similar to that, check this out

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=bottle ... 20&bih=973

tm

[hihosilver]

Thanks for the responses so far folks. I don't think its a bottle garden, unless it was re-purposed, as they dont normally have a volume level. It's been suggested to me in the past that it also could have been something that held acid or something scientific. It's always puzzled me so thought I'd ask here.

A few more details: It seems to have a 'seam' as if it was molded glass. I dug it up out of the bottom of an 18-19th century building but I dont think molded glass was around until about 1840 onwards. The numbers on the top look almost modern to me though. It's been buried for at least 40 years as that's how long the building was covered in rubble and debris.

[tractorman]

hi, all

I visited blair castle in scotland at the weekend, the duke had one the same in the formal dinning room, said to be used to keep his whisky in .Lucky git lol I`m not kidding i bet the glass he used held 3 pints

[doglikesparky]

Hi there Hihosilver.
what you have here is a modern press moulded 25 gallon Carboy that dates from around 1960 to present day. mainly used for brewing wine.


P.S Moulded glass was first recorded in Mesopotamia around 1500 BC and was widely used in Roman glass making untill the fall of the roman empire.

[hihosilver]

Great, thanks a lot doglikessparky. That seems like it all fits in nicely. Will have to read up more on bottles for future finds then. Might also have to buy a home brewing kit now. Thank you everyone for your feedback.

[slippery]

25 gallon ??

hic..

[tractorman]

I`m not trying to be a clever sod,but if you do the maths 25 gallons= 113.5 litres=108 kg`s or old money 239 lb`s doesnt look that large or strong enough to me

[hihosilver]

Think he/she meant litres. As it seems to holds about 5.5 gallons which is about 24-25l. And it's amazingly strong as i put the prong of a gardening fork full force into the side of it when I found it, and it didn't even chip or crack. Really wasnt expecting anythign there at all.

[doglikesparky]

oops.. yep i meant L, its passed my bedtime....