I tried sending you an email so you could send me a pic, but got a “mailer daemon” notice that your address was invalid. In some cases (from what I understand) a mold that has been very heavily used over considerable periods of time can eventually build up accumulations of “mold paste” in the crevices/engravings (causing them to become more shallow) which causes the resulting embossing to be weak, another type of “poor strike”. I can’t tell you anything about the “63” on the bottom with 100% certainty, but I ASSUME it is just a mold number that identified the specific iron mold which was used to make that jar. Mason? Is this jar possibly a reproduction or is there a reason it would just say Mason’s Patent? Do these add up to any significance? Is there any info on the errors ? Often the only notable difference between one jar and another is the exact mold number or letter/number combo on the bottom. The ring that goes around the bottom is kind of bumpy. They are blue, bubbled & have seams. Perhaps it's the timeless logo, the inexplicably comfortable weight of the vessel, or the effortless balance between elegance and utility that has secured Ball's success for the last century. I’ve found a canning jar with a name on it that I’ve never heard of, The name is Reliable, written in cursive,slanted up hill on the right side. John Landis Mason was awarded patent #22186, issued on November 30, 1858 by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (actually the patent was termed an “Improvement in screw-neck bottles”),  for his invention concerning the process of creating a threaded screw-type closure on bottles and jars. On the front it has: D1 is on the bottom. This particular bottle was made at plant number “7” (Alton, Illinois). David. Best regards, Sorry, On the back of the jar there is an image of an eagle embossed on the jar. Sandra, many old jars and bottles have “ghost embossing” which is a much fainter “repeat” of the main lettering, usually just in part. I do not have the original lid. Best regards, David. Some have the standard “MASON’S PATENT NOV 30TH 1858” marking but do NOT have a Maltese cross. “3” is a mold number. It has a ground rim a seam up the side and is very light blue in color. That’s one of the later machine-made versions of the “NOV 30TH 1858” type jars. Certainly an unusual variant! Some of the “MASONS PATENT NOV 30TH 1858” jars are unmarked on the base. I have a bottle green Midget Mason Jar, that, on first inspection, could very well be a reproduction, but a few things stand out. Take care, David, I have a Mason’s patent Nov 30 1858 jar that has five dots on the bottom. Number 4 on the bottom. It doesn’t have an indentation for a locking device but does have threads. Because competitors produced most Mason jars after his patent expired in 1879, Mason never achieved wealth, and sadly, lived meagerly until his death in 1902. It does have a screw on lid. It does not say 1858 on it just “Masons Patent” it has a shoulder seal and a zinc lid. Hi David, I have been collecting for some time, Bottles and jars but bottles most of the time. Beware! There are also other imperfections in the threads, and the base. “BALL” logo, as seen on a BALL PERFECT MASON jar from the period c. 1910-1923. Hi David, do you have a source for the manufacture dates you provided in your response to JoAnne above? The only marking on the front is Mason Patent. There are few everyday objects more iconic than the Ball Mason jar. In any case, keep in mind that many, many molds were produced for the MASON’S PATENT NOV 30TH 1858 jars by hundreds of glass factories, over a period of around 60 years, and there are no doubt errors that have not been listed as of yet. We create solutions that enrich your life. So, if there was any problems with the finished jars the mold in question could be readily identified and repaired. Early American Prescut (“EAPC”) serving platter made by Anchor Hocking. It also has (what I think people are calling) shoulder lines down the sides. They were both presumably made in the early 1880s. Documented factories that actually licensed Mason’s designs in the late-1800s include Mason Mfg. People also love these ideas Pinterest… Is it old or reproduction. I’m not sure if that type is being imported from China or India, but likely somewhere in Asia. There is no date or any other marks on the front of the jar. Thanks Ken Woods, Ken, it’s an older jar. Lid and handle are in good shape. Under the name is, HOME CANNING, and under that is MASON. R in a triangle mark used by Reed. This style with the cross underneath the word MASON’S is listed as jar#1939 in the “RED BOOK” of antique and collectible fruit jars often consulted by collectors. In 1884, Ball Corporation began manufacturing glass home-canning jars, the product that established Ball as a household name and licensed Mason's design. Many of them have no glassmaker mark, and so cannot be attributed to any particular company or factory. I have a quart size MASON’S PATENT NOV 30TH 1858 jar. Can you tell me what that means please? The jar pictured here is an example.). The “MASON’S PATENT NOV 30TH 1858” jars are found with many different mold identifying marks on the base, including letters, numbers, and geometic shapes. It could be Co, but most definitely looks like a tiny uppercase A. Would you happen to know a timeframe or date. Jar is light blue and noticeably rippled with numerous bubbles. Thanks for writing! Could someone help me to better understand what I have inherited? This bottle was made in 1972 at plant number 9 which was Streator, Illinois. Thanks! 3.7 out of 5 stars 78. There is no way to be precise on the dating of those ground-lip jars. David, I have an aqua pint perfect mason jar with either a backwards number “9” or a small letter “d”. Many authentic older jars and bottles have only raised dots or “bumps” on the bottom. Most of the older jars also have at least some bubbles in them. There is quite a lot of variation in the strength of the “strike”, meaning some jars will have very bold, sharply defined lettering, but on others the embossed lettering is weak, having very “low relief”. C. Co” mystery mark solved ~ Glaser-Crandell Company, Chicago, Illinois, General Overview on Glass Insulators – Basic Information, Glass Containers Corporation, Fullerton, California, Glass Manufacturers’ Marks on Coke Bottles, Great Western Glass Company, St. Louis, Missouri (1874-c.1887), HEMINGRAY No 9 // PATENT MAY 2 1893 glass telephone insulator, Hobnail Pattern Glass Votive Candle Cups / Candleholders, Horseshoe & Star design on the base of jelly glasses, Indiana Glass Company “Hen-on-Nest” Dishes, Interstate Glass Company, Kansas City, Missouri, Kentucky Glass Works Company, Louisville, Kentucky, L.G.CO. One has the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company emblem with D418 on the bottom. We need each other to live better--be it by taking the time to connect with our communities or supporting small businesses. Sometimes the characters might appear backwards. David. I have a 4 gallon Mason Jar that is embossed with the words Mason Patent and Nov. 30th 1858 on the front of the jar. L.G.CO.export-style beer bottle, typical mark as seen on Lindell Glass Company, St. Louis product. Do you have any information on this? I can’t find any information relating to a fruit jar lid with that patent date embossing. (Frederick Heitz Glass Works), St. Louis, MO, Fletcher’s Castoria / Pitcher’s Castoria bottles, “G. 4.8 out of 5 stars … You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. The lip inside of the Ball zinc lid is very rough. 57. David. Base of A. Templeton, Louisville, KY ale bottle. In the great majority of cases, it is not possible to find the year of manufacture. Only 12 left in stock - order soon. Diamond-I mark on bottom of amber bottle made by Illinois Glass Company. It has a PAT NOV 26 67 and an 80 in the middle of the bottom. Sorry I don’t have any specific info on that particular mold mark. Hello i purchased a dark purple Masons Improved jar it has F.260 on the bottom of it I don’t think it a reproduction but someone told me it is can you help me. There is typically  a 2 or 3-digit mold number in the center of the base. David, I have a 1858 patent nov 30 Amber jar with no marks on bottom but on the back , it has a symbol that has 4 sides, picture a four leaf clover except it doesn’t look like a clover. (To any jar collectors or others that are knowledgeable about this subject, you are more than welcome to chime in!) Many of the molds were engraved with various numbers, letters, or combinations thereof. On the front it says; MASON’S The Port plant at Belleville was purchased by Ball Brothers Glass Company in 1904 who continued to operate it until 1910 when it was closed. Hope this helps, I was just wondering if you know if the ‘Ball’ logo has had it’s copyright expired? They merely identified a particular mold in use at the factory. I think I have at least a thousand glass lids. MASONS CFJCo 1858 Half Gallon YELLOW CITRON. On the bottom is the number 62 in the center and the letters RF on the bottom as well. I am assuming you meant to write “1858”, correct? Is it original or repro? reCAP® Mason Jars lid FLIP cap | Regular Mouth, reCAP® Mason Jars Lid Sprayer Cap | Regular Mouth, reCAP® Mason Jar Soap Dispenser Lid & Pump Cap, Regular Mouth, Natural, reCAP® Mason Jar Pour Spout Lid | Olive Oil Spout & Dispenser. That was typical of the older jars of this type. Good luck with your collection! The color is usually a greenish-aqua. If anyone has any information I would be grateful. I also have a Mason jar with the H 395 #’s on the bottom. However, the journey to creating the ultimate jar was no simple process. Antique Mason Canning Jars. ~David. Hello, My name is Mel, when my husbands grandmother passed away, we got a bunch of old blue mason jars, one is like this one, lots of bubbles in the jar itself, but I noticed on the bottom it doesnt have numbers, just the mansons patent nov. 30th 1858 on it. Rare GALLON Size WW LYMAN w/ Circle of Dates. (Period) after the 1858, what does that mean? I do not have info on rarity or current values. It has 5 dots in a square with the 5th dot in the middle of the 4. It should also be mentioned that the Maltese Cross is below the word Mason’s. The XIX is a mold identifying number (probably meant as Roman equivalent of ’19’) and cannot give us any info on glassmaker or exact age. Port Glass Co. was in business from about 1890 to 1902 in Muncie, and 1902-1904 in Belleville. Does having seams on your ball Mason jars make a difference in value. Thank you. To satiate your curiosity, we're serving up a pint-sized history of the Ball Mason Jar. Some of the older “Nov 30th 1858” Masons were originally made in clear glass and will turn some shade of very light purple (from the manganese in the formula) under continued sunlight. Hope this helps, On most examples, the letters “H”,  “F”,  “J” and “Co” can be faintly seen within  each “arm” of the cross. ... A couple of years ago at the local flea market,I found one of these 4-gallon jars in its box.The … It has the Boyd’s porcelain with cross lid. There is not a way to know the exact age from most of those marks. “B in a diamond” mark on inside of Star & Dewdrop master salt dish in vaseline glass, made in 1994. Cant seem to find much on this jar. Without a thorough understanding of food preservation, foodborne illnesses such as botulism, listeria, and e. Coli were significant threats. The “Crowleytown” jars have a more pronounced square shoulder, differing in appearance from the typical later types. I think this may have been more of a fashion in times past, as it seems that alot of book titles (especially from the mid and late 1800s) have a period placed after them on the front cover of books. The “15” is a mold number. The variants are highly confusing, but some info might be found by consulting a recent edition of the “RED BOOK”, a price guide used by antique fruit jar collectors. A considerable percentage have a mold number or letter on the base, a means of identifying the particular mold in use at the factory. But the most interesting thing is 4 raised dots on the bottom of the jar???? So there are many jars in which the “9” or the “6” is very sloppily done, and does look something like a crude ‘b” or “c” or “d” or even sometimes resembling a bass clef or half note in printed music. reCAP® Mason Jar Lids Five Piece Starter Set in Black. David, Are raised dots on the bottom of 1858 jars antique or repros, Hi John, I don’t think your question can be answered with absolute certainty. Can you tell me anything about this jar? KY.G.W. Best regards, A lot of good, in-depth information is posted on that site. David, My Mason’s Patent Nov 30th 1858 jar has the letters D242 on the bottom. David. Small sellers accomplish momentous things, individuals can inspire millions, and one product can change a person's life. IMPORTANT NOTE: There are many reproductions of the “MASON’S PATENT NOV 30TH 1858” jars in circulation, especially examples produced in the last 30 years or so!!! Hero had several other glass companies help fill their orders, (such as Marion Fruit Jar & Bottle Company of  Marion, IN and Cumberland Glass Manufacturing Company of Bridgeton, NJ) for these jars (which were extremely popular), so it is difficult to be 100% sure exactly where any particular H F J Co jar was made, although assumedly the majority were produced at their factory in Philadelphia. Antique Aqua Half Gallon Mason's Patent Nov 30th 1858 jar, RARE Aqua Mason's Patent jar 1858, Antique half gallon Mason's Jar with cross AlittlebitofAfton. Any insight would be most appreciated! JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Thanks!! Any ideas how old it may be? Beth, please contact me directly, using the email address at the bottom right of any page on this site. Julie, I would need to see clear pics of the jar and of the base. The exact cursive style changed slightly several times over the years. The jar number 2131 has “quotation marks” on both sides of the word “MASON”, otherwise they are similar. The symbol is with an F, J and C all joing together. I read over this, three times hoping I missed the dot information but didnt see it. Depending on how you are holding it, it looks like there is a curved line coming from the dot on the bottom right corner of the square of dots going across to the left and then down. mark on antique glass bottles & jars, Lynchburg Glass Corporation, Lynchburg, Virginia, M inside a circle: Maryland Glass Corporation, Baltimore, MD, McLaughlin Glass Company, Vernon, California, M.G.CO. Consolidated seems to have been a distributor (rather than an actual glassmaker) and they had huge numbers of jars made for them by many glass companies over several decades (basically, a subcontracting arrangement). $43.00: 8 Closed 8609. Hi Janet, MASONS KEYSTONE Pat 1858 AMBER QUART. And I don’t think there is any information available that would pinpoint the maker. The conical shape of this chuck allowed him to create a cap that sealed as it was tightened. (Photo courtesy of Dan Goorevitch). Sapphire Blue “Eastlake” Children’s Mug, made by Atterbury & Company of Pittsburgh in the 1880s. Lettering on side reads, “S/Mason S/Patent 1858.” I can’t find anything similar online and was wondering if you know any information on its age. Hope this makes some kind of sense! Even some of the repro jars will have bubbles or flaws that make them “look older”. ~David. The number on the bottom is H362 and it is red. Hi Hannah, I have seen, however, fairly recently (2013) even rather ordinary-looking aqua or greenish-aqua 1858  jars for sale at flea markets that are, in fact, new, and were probably imported from China! I had never seen one in that color, so I purchased it. Hi there, I sent a message asking about a jar and I am having a hard time finding the message and the reply. David. Can you tell me what those signify and age approximate of the jar??? I have a square quart jar with the word MASON running vertically down one side with markings of –6 OZ. There are other slightly different variants of that jar (this is just one example)! Top is rough, seems ground not machine made. The top is called a “ground lip” by jar collectors, as if ground down on a grinding wheel with sandpaper. Check out our mason gallon selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. On bottom of jar are the numbers 2 then a dot in the middle (not sitting on the line like a period) then 505.Then in the middle of jar bottom is a hexagon( it has 6 sides) with a P or F in middle of hexagon. On the bottom is Pat Nov 44 2G C7 (I think). There is also a jar with the error date “1885” but the “TH” is correctly embossed. 11 edition) and I don’t believe that variation is listed. AB (connected) mark on base of light aqua beer bottle – with P 11 code, Diamond-Oval-I trademark used by Owens-Illinois Glass Company, (Photo courtesy Frances Riley, Prince Rupert, BC), American National Can Company logo, on base of 1990 green soda bottle, Triangles mark on base of VICKS VAPORUB jar (photo courtesy of John Rich, R inside a “sun” representation.