Hello! I found a Thatcher Manufacturing Bottle Today - Can't figure out which one

loudounco

I searched the drawings but had no luck. https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/search/collection/nyheritage!p16694coll4/searchterm/Drawings/field/subjec/mode/all/conn/and/page/3

I am attaching the pics. Any help would be great in identifying the distiller and the bottle itself. I spent hours today and even called some antique shops local to me.

Chris

Is that D-778 on the base, center?

loudounco

Yes!

Chris

There is some documentation of Distiller and Rectifier permit numbers which I have expanded upon by the very slow process of reviewing labeled examples on eBay. This research method connects the product brand with the D- or R- number. Note that the permittee could be bottling multiple brands which complicates matters.

I have not yet documented any permit number greater than 460 so your bottle suggests that there are quite a few more than I know anything about!

loudounco

Okay, any idea what the 87 next to 4/5 quart means or the number 4 and 45 on either side of the D-778? Also, the letter B is under the D-778, not sure what that means. I found this bottle in Leesburg, VA. Do you think it makes sense to try to search locally for some more info?

Chris

You are not going to find any more info on Thatcher than this document: https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/ThatcherFirms.pdf

The 4 could be a Plant code, 45 possibly a date code.

Understand that Thatcher (or any glass manufacturer for that matter) made bottles for hundreds if not thousands of clients. Research on 20th century glass manufacturers as well as bottling companies is by no means complete....this is the work of painstaking research by just a few people in the US. I would direct you to the bibliography in the above referenced link if you want to dig deeper.