Best Of The West Live Auction
November 13, 2026 5:30 PM PT
Golden Gate Bottle Auctions is proud to present the Best of the West Live Auction, featuring 72 exceptional lots from the Jeff Wichmann Collection. This special auction showcases an outstanding selection of rare Western bottles, along with four exceptional insulators. Jeff's longstanding passion for Western bottles and his contributions to the collecting community are reflected in this remarkable collection.
The auction will take place Friday, November 13, 2026, at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn, California, in conjunction with the 49er Bottle Show. Live bidding begins at 5:30 PM Pacific.
Absentee bids will be updated periodically in the online catalog. Please note that online bidding will not be available before or during the live auction on November 13.
→ Register For The Live Auction
The auction will take place Friday, November 13, 2026, at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn, California, in conjunction with the 49er Bottle Show. Live bidding begins at 5:30 PM Pacific.
Absentee bids will be updated periodically in the online catalog. Please note that online bidding will not be available before or during the live auction on November 13.
→ Register For The Live Auction
Fine Old Bourbon From Patrick Quinn Table Bluff, Cal.
Circa 1884–1885, applied top, pint. Oakland Glass Works base embossed flasks are scarce, but examples retaining their original labels are nearly nonexistent. This example bears the label, "Fine Old Bourbon From Patrick Quinn, Table Bluff, Cal." Table Bluff was an early supply town located at an important crossroads in Humboldt County, just a few miles inland from the Pacific coast. Historical records indicate that Patrick Quinn acquired a controlling interest in the Table Bluff Hotel in 1882 and operated the hotel and its saloon until 1892.
Description & Condition: Amber, clean glass, about 75% of label intact.
Min. Bid $150 - Est. $300–$600
J.H. Cutter Old Bourbon A.P. Hotaling & Co Portland, O.
Circa 1880s–1890s, tooled top, pint. A rare Hotaling flask from Portland, Oregon. These come in both the pint and half pint sizes, with around 15 known examples. By the 1880s, A.P. Hotaling had established a significant presence in the Pacific Northwest and made a variety of embossed bottles from both Oregon and Washington.
Description & Condition: Medium dark amber, clean glass.
Min. Bid $250 - Est. $500–$1,000
AAA Old Valley Whiskey
Circa 1870s, applied top, pint. A classic Western flask popular throughout the mining regions of the West Coast, especially California's Gold Country and many areas of Nevada. While often referred to as pints, these actually held roughly 20% more than a true pint. They are known in a wide range of colors from yellow to dark amber, with about two examples reported in an incredible light green, almost lime color. Most examples are amber, and many suffer from a weak strike.
Description & Condition: Rich old amber color with a strong strike and light whittle. A solid example.
Min. Bid $400 - Est. $800–$1,500
Miller's Extra Old Bourbon
Circa 1871–1880, pint, large design variant. The Miller's flask is probably the most iconic and recognizable of the applied top Western flasks, with numerous examples having been recovered throughout the West Coast. Miller's flasks were especially popular in the mining camps of California and Nevada, with the famous ghost town of Cerro Gordo accounting for many of the known examples. E. Martin & Co. appears to have conducted a successful marketing campaign with hotels, as numerous examples have been excavated from hotel privies across the West. One hotel privy in San Diego alone produced more than fifteen Miller's flasks. There are two recognized variants, the large design and the small design. Miller's may not be a rare bottle, but outstanding examples such as this remain highly sought after by collectors.
Description & Condition: Yellow olive amber, strong strike, and abundant whittle. Double roll top with a minor 1/16" flake to the base edge. A top example.
Min. Bid $750 - Est. $1,500–$3,000
J. Angeli & Co
Circa 1868–1871, applied top, 7 5/8". One of the earliest Western blown flasks that likely dates only a year or two later than the horizontal Wormser flask, which is believed to have been introduced around 1866–1867. The Angeli and Wormser are closely related in concept, both featuring unusual bases and capacities exceeding a pint. This has always been a difficult flask for collectors to acquire, even among advanced Western collectors. Most known examples are shades of amber, although one or two exceptional specimens are known with a strong yellow olive influence. With its early date, large size, and distinctive form, the Angeli remains one of the top ten Western flasks with around 7 known examples. This one was dug by the late Ken Salazar in a deep West Oakland well full of bromo seltzers.
Description & Condition: Old amber with a good strike, light whittle, and clean glass. Very light minor scuff above the embossing and a minuscule amount of interior stain. A very strong example of this rare flask.
Min. Bid $3,500 - Est. $7,000–$14,000
J.F. Cutter Extra Old Bourbon
Circa 1875–1880, applied top, pint. A popular Western flask full of large embossing, these have been found throughout the Pacific Coast, from San Diego to Washington and eastward into Nevada. Most examples occur in shades of amber, with olive toned examples being exceedingly rare.
Description & Condition: Medium honey amber color with a good strike and attractive bubbly glass.
Min. Bid $400 - Est. $800–$1,500
Jesse Moore Old Bourbon
Circa 1878–1882, applied top, pint. A highly desirable Western flask that matches the larger Jesse Moore fifth, featuring the same bold embossed antlers and extensive full–face embossing. Examples are known in a variety of amber shades and occur with both single and double roll tops, with the single roll examples being the scarcer of the two variants. Like the fifths, these flasks enjoyed a broad distribution and have been found throughout California, Nevada, and even as far north as Washington. Though not the rarest Western flask, they are consistently in high demand and remain a staple in any advanced flask collection.
Description & Condition: Medium amber. Desirable single roll top with a strong strike and some attractive crudity. Tiny fleabite to the base edge, light shovel scuffs on the reverse, a 1/16" bruise on the front near the base, and a minor amount of interior stain on the reverse. All minor issues, a great example.
Min. Bid $1,500 - Est. $3,000–$5,000