"Waikins" / Watkins?
I've just inherited a collection of mostly common bottles and am learning rapidly, but I've been stumped by this "Waikins" bottle. It is pictured next to a Watkins for reference. The fonts are slightly different, and the mold marks are 193 inside a diamond with the Watkins having an external 2 and the Waikins having an external 3. I've not been able to find any indication that Watkins had contemporary imitators, and due to current low value, a modern fake seems silly. In addition, collection has been in storage for over 40 years with no new additions.
The picture makes it seem that the bottles are slightly different dimensions , but they are the same external size.
Any thoughts or info would be greatly appreciated!
The picture makes it seem that the bottles are slightly different dimensions , but they are the same external size.
Any thoughts or info would be greatly appreciated!
Comments
You have a good eye for detail which will make you a good bottle collector :-)
I believe that for all but the scarcest / rarest of bottles, production was based on multiple molds. Some had subtle variations, others did not.
This is a major error since it affects the brand, but who knows how many are out there..
Collectors are known to get excited and bid up variant bottles for quality valuable 19th century pieces, but I am not sure that the embossing error here elevates the value much.
Thanks for sharing the photos.