S.H.M Superior Old Bourbon

Circa 1874-1878. A tough Western 5th with an attractive embossing pattern featuring a fleur-de-lis with bold, prominent embossing. This is the Western-blown mold variant, distinguished by the hallmark Western curved Rs. The strike is on the light side, but still stronger than some examples we've seen. The upper half of the top above the ring has been professionally replaced. The repair is well executed and displays naturally. A shallow 1/16" surface chip on the front shoulder and an even smaller one on the side shoulder. A few light scuffs and areas of wear on the reverse and neck. Not perfect, but a great Western whiskey fifth that displays well. Thomas # 169.

J.H. Cutter Old Bourbon Bottled By A.P. Hotaling & Co.

Circa 1890s, applied top. While not a rare bottle, this is an outstanding example in a light honey amber and full of seed bubbles. Some light scratches on the base of the neck on the interior that can be seen with enough light. Thomas # 45.

Old Judge KY Bourbon M. Gruenberg & Co San Francisco

Circa 1884-1887, applied top. A scarce Western 5th put out by a firm that only lasted a few short years. Medium amber. Clean glass, no issues. This is the variant with M. Gruenberg and no date on base. Thomas # 76-C.

Our Choice Old Bourbon Hencken & Schroder 208 & 210 Front St S.F. Sole Agents

Circa 1884-1888, applied top. This is the earlier variant with the true recessed slug plate. Dark amber with some bubbles and light crudity. Nice large applied top. Small, shallow partially open bubble on the neck. An attractive Western whiskey fifth with a great name. Thomas # 86.

Phoenix Old Bourbon Naber, Alfs & Brune Sole Agents S.F.

Circa 1879-1887, applied top. Lighter amber, strong strike. Outstanding full face embossing featuring the iconic Phoenix rising from the ashes. Tiny 1/16" flake off the base edge and a pinhead flake on the embossed circular medallion. A few very light, hard to see exterior scuffs and some vertical scratches on the inside of the lip. Possibly professionally cleaned. Overall, a great example. Thomas # 120.

Teakettle Old Bourbon

Circa 1870s, applied top. One of the most iconic Western whiskey fifths, especially popular in the Comstock mining region of Nevada. Darker medium amber with lots of whittle. The upper portion of the embossing is a little weakly struck. Some light exterior scratches. Shallow 3/4" partially open bubble next to the tea kettle. Likely professionally cleaned. Thomas # 136.

Phil Kleinschmidt Leadville Colo.

Circa 1900, pint, tooled top. One of the rarest Leadville flasks. Leadville was one of Colorado's most famous early mining boom towns, rising to prominence during the silver rush of the late 19th century. This example is in a light sun-colored amethyst shade with clean glass. A few very light surface scuffs and one shallow 1/8" surface check on the front below the embossing.

Rainer-Saloon Blue Grass S Hossli Tuolumne, Cal.

Circa 1900, half pint. An unlisted pumpkin seed from California's Gold Country. A particularly interesting flask, as relatively few Western flasks are embossed with the word "Saloon." Little information has been uncovered on the Rainier Saloon to date, making this a rare piece of Tuolumne County history. Some stain on inside corners.

Senate 522 Harrison Ave. Leadville Colo.

Circa 1905, half pint, ground lip. A scarce dandy flask from Leadville, Colorado. A great Western bottle with an evocative name, likely reflecting Leadville's colorful mining era heritage. Some interior stain and very faint exterior patina.

H. Brickwedel & Co Wholesale Liquor Dealers 208 & 210 Front St S.F.

1880s, pint, tooled top. A desirable San Francisco flask featuring a coveted street address. This is an incredible example in a bright color, yellow in natural light, with a substantial amount of whittle throughout. Unfortunately, there is a 1" crack that extends across the top of the lip. Regardless of the issue, this bottle displays beautifully and remains a very attractive example. Spotty interior stain. Thomas # 7

H. Brickwedel & Co Wholesale Liquor Dealers 208 & 210 Front St S.F.

1880s, half pint, tooled top. A nice half pint example of the Brickwedel flask in a honey amber color with a crude top. Thomas # 7

Louis Taussig & Co. 26 & 28 Main St S.F.

1880s, pint, tooled top. A rare flask with about 10 known examples in the pint size. This example has clean glass and some light milky swirls throughout. Thomas # 60.

Wormser Bros. San Francisco

Circa 1868-1871, 8 3/8", applied top. A highly collectible flask that ranks among the earliest Western flasks produced. These are larger than a pint size and held roughly 1/6th of a gallon. This example is old amber with heavy whittle, a strong strike, and a very crude, partially formed double-roll top. Unfortunately, there is a 1/4" chip off the corner of the base. An extremely crude example that displays well. Finding a mint example with this degree of crudity would be a formidable challenge. Thomas # 63.

AAA Old Valley Whiskey

1870s, pint. A classic 1870s Western flask full of embossing that comes in a myriad of colors. This is an amber example with a strong strike and some light general crudity. A hint of interior stain. Thomas # 1.

Miller's Extra Old Bourbon E Martin & Co

1870s, pint. A great example of a Miller's in a light amber with a strong strike. This example was dug on the Santa Cruz County coast back in the 1970s. Some light shovel scuffs on the reverse. Thomas # 19.

Lot of 5: Shot Glasses

Lot of 5 shot glasses. Old Cutter Whiskey, Old Thompson, Sunny Brooke, Kentucky Tavern, Yellowstone. All in decent condition, see photos.

Barner & Riebe Bottlers Redding Cal

Circa 1900, quart, tooled top. A rare variant of this Redding beer that has Cal embossed upside down on the bottle. There is a sticker on the reverse that indicates this bottle was likely found in Deacon Creek in 1965. Ex Ken Schwartz.

Chicago Bottling Works D. Meinke, Prop. San Francisco

Circa 1900, quart, tooled top. A scarce San Francisco beer in a straight amber.

Fredericksburg Bottling Co. S.F.

Circa 1900, quart, applied top. A beautiful German red whittled example. A tiny 1/16" nick on the exterior shoulder and a few light scratches on the interior shoulder above the embossing.

Gold Medal Agency C. Maurer. Prop. San Jose. Cal.

Circa 1890s, quart, applied top. A scarce San Jose Quart. Great condition with no wear.