J FAUSER CO BEER BOTTLE SAN FRANCISCO K HUTTER STOPPER Start Price USD 19.95 Current Price USD 28.58 Time Left - Bid Count 4 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, October 06, 2008 End Time Monday, October 13, 2008 Location Shelton, WA See more about ' J FAUSER CO BEER BOTTLE SAN FRANCISCO K HUTTER STOPPER' Description This is one fabulous little beer bottle, but don't take our word for it; we must make it clear that we are not bottle experts. We may leave out important information, use the wrong terms, or otherwise fluff it, so please refer carefully to the photos and feel free to contact us with questions, refutations, insults, whatever. It's pretty obvious that this is a bottle from John Fauser & Company, a San Francisco brewery, since it says so in big embossed letters on the side of the bottle. It was bottled by U. S. Bottling Co, according to the bottle; that probably indicates 1900 or earlier, since in 1890, laws were changed and companies were allowed to bottle their own beer. But it's not earlier than 1893, because of the date on the stopper, and because the lip bears the light scoring of a lipping tool, which has obliterated the seam mark half an inch below the lip. The bottle alone stands 11 1/2 inches high; it measures a full 12 inches with the stopper in place. Diameter of the base is a hair over 3 inches. It appears in excellent condition. There is some light rust on the heavy wire bale, but it is intact and fully functional, and the porcelain stopper is neither chipped nor discolored. And it's beautiful: the top features the U.S. flag shield with red stripes and stars on a blue field surmounted by the brewer's name and with U.S. superimposed. The knob inside the stopper (precursor of the widget, maybe?) says Pat'd February 7, 1893 K. Hutter (Karl Hutter). The seams are pronounced on both sides of the bottle, but they have no chips or rough segments. When we purchased this sweetheart in an auction lot, it came quite grubby and with several ounces of ancient linseed oil inside -- totally gross, but it probably was the saving of the functional bale. We have cleaned it with reasonable success although some traces of residue remain. We are able to process VISA and MasterCard payments but suggest purchasers who wish to use this option contact us for a phone number rather than sending the card number by e-mail. Non-U.S. buyers: PayPal only, please. Be aware that we must put the full auction bid as price on the customs statement and that we cannot ship items prohibited for mailing to your country (please check the U.S. Postal Service Web site on international mailing prohibitions > and choose your country). We pack for mailing carefully and will probably double-box this old beauty (although local pickup is always an option for our buyers). This item will weigh almost three pounds when boxed for shipping. We highly recommend insurance. Place a Bid!