Sold for A$20
Cobalt blue bottle with pouring spout. Base Mark: H. G. Hotchkiss / Lyons, N. Y. Household Oil Applied top, wiht pouring lip. Cobalt. 1 Quart. 241 mm. 1880s
Very Good. The H.G. Hotchkiss International Prize Medal Essential Oil Company was founded by Hiram Gilbert Hotchkiss in 1839 in Phelps, New York. By 1841, the business had been moved to Lyons to be nearer the Erie Canal. It was found that Hotchkiss oil was purer than any other oil available. The oil sold for more per pound than any other, and the Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company became the largest of its kind in the world. It was said that travelers on the Erie Canal could always tell when they were nearing Lyons -- they could smell the peppermint. The H.G. Hotchkiss Company was sold in 1982 to an Indiana company, which continued to operate in Lyons until 1990, when they moved back to Indiana. So, this bottle was likely a peppermint oil bottle! Etched surface stain down one side of the bottle. Flake chip to inner lip. Crude mark to outer pouring spout looks like a chip, but this is a mould mark. Nice looking bottle. Grade: 7.4 Estimate: $50 - 75
