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
Western Spice Mills
Circa 1865–1870, applied top, 8 1/2". A rare gothic pepper sauce produced by the Western Spice Mills, which were located in St. Louis and advertised as one of the oldest spice mills in the West. While St. Louis is considered part of the Midwest today, it was widely regarded as a Western city during the mid nineteenth century and served as a major gateway to the frontier. One of the few embossed pepper sauce bottles produced during the nineteenth century and a favorite among serious food collectors. Most examples are found in aqua, with only a few known in shades of yellow.
Description & Condition: Vivid yellow color. Crude glass full of bubbles. Well-hidden 1/2" hairline fissure in the shoulder, blending into a run of impurities. Excellent character and eye appeal.
Min. Bid $2,000 - Est. $4,000–$8,000
A.P. Brayton & Co. San Francisco Cal.
Circa 1863–1865, applied top, quart. These jars are the earliest Western fruit jars and may have been among the first bottles blown in California, occurring in both iron pontiled and smooth base examples. They were produced in pint, quart, and half–gallon sizes, with fewer than ten examples known across all sizes in any condition. Due to their early manufacture, many exhibit a beautiful Western fire aqua color, as seen in this example. Albert P. Brayton was an early California pioneer in the foundry business, founding what would eventually become Pacific Iron Works, and is believed to have manufactured the iron Haller–type closure used on these jars. In 1863, Brayton advertised himself as the sole agent for "Haller's Patent Airtight Fruit–Jars." It is possible that he licensed the closure, commissioned a jar bearing his embossed name, and contracted the recently established Pacific Glass Works to produce a small run around 1863. Undoubtedly the holy grail of Western fruit jars, the A.P. Brayton is coveted by both Western and Eastern jar collectors alike. This may be the only undamaged smooth base quart known.
Description & Condition: Rich deep aqua color. Two tiny flea bites to the lip, along with some very light exterior scratching. Two small dips in the lip appear to be manufacturing crudity. All are minor distractions, noted for accuracy. An impressive example that displays beautifully.
Min. Bid $7,500 - Est. $15,000–$25,000