How old is this?

by Robin
(Warner Robins, GA USA)

Black glass bottle punt

Black glass bottle punt

question
My son found this bottle punt on the beach in Grand Turk. It is black and very thick.

When I hold it up to the light, no light comes through.

I was wondering how old it is, and if it is rare.

Thank you.

~ submitted by Robin, Warner Robins, Georgia, USA

Answer
This definitely is a unique and unusual find.

Very dark glass like you have found is usually very hard to find. However, with the shape still intact and the large size, it is not as hard to spot this among rocks, etc, as it would be if it was very rounded and smaller.

As far as the value as a piece of sea glass, it is not a shape that would be used for jewelry (jewelry pieces are more in demand and tend to bring higher prices). It is a great addition to a personal collection of sea glass colors, but prices for a collectors piece are much lower than for a jewelry piece - and finding a buyer might be difficult..

The age of this piece would also be hard to say, although it's physical appearance would indicate that is pretty old. If there is an identifiable symbol or embossing on the bottom of the piece, it might be traceable, but I don't see any marks in this photo.

NOTE: The Society for Historical Identificaction - Bottle Fragment Identification states:
"...identification is an almost impossible task...  unless there is some distinctly diagnostic feature (e.g., embossing, unique shape) that is unmistakable." Read more...

Recommended reading:

Identify bottles and bottle stoppers
Warman's Bottles Field Guide
America's favorite pocket-sized guide helps you identify bottles and bottle stoppers like a pro.



Sea Glass Appraisal and Value Evaluation

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Questions.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.