Best Of The West Live Auction (November 13, 2026 5:30 PM PT)

Circa 1870–1874, applied top, fifth. One of the most famous whiskey bottles of the Comstock era, produced in both fifth and sixth sizes. Approximately 15 fifths and 7 sixths are believed to exist, making either size a rarity today. Thomas Taylor was an early West Coast liquor merchant who arrived in California during the Gold Rush era and later established himself in both San Francisco and Virginia City. His business prospered during the height of the Comstock mining boom, supplying liquor to one of the wealthiest and most influential mining regions in the American West. Taylor's bottles are highly sought after for their direct connection to Virginia City and the legendary silver mining history of the Comstock. They are also among a very small group of embossed bottles from the 1860s and 1870s bearing the name Virginia, joining such rarities as the Morrill Citrate, Higgins Ink, and Stephens & Jose gravitating soda.

Description & Condition: Olive amber color with a touch of yellow. Abundant whittle and crude, stippled glass. A beautiful example.

Min. Bid $3,000 - Est. $6,000–$12,000