19th-Century Three-Piece Dark Green “Case Gin” Glass Bottle Collection

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On offer is a three-piece set of "case gin" bottles dating from the mid-to-late 19th century. This iconic square, downward-tapered … Read more On offer is a three-piece set of "case gin" bottles dating from the mid-to-late 19th century. This iconic square, downward-tapered shape is functionally known as a "case bottle". Originating in the Netherlands and Great Britain, they were primarily used to export Dutch gin around the globe. Such bottles were deliberately engineered so multiple bottles could be packed tightly together inside wooden shipping crates without wasting space or rattling against each other during overseas transit.
The deep, rich shade is historically referred to as olive green or "forest glass". This thick glass formulation often included impurities like iron slag, which gave it a dark color meant to protect the liquor from light damage. These were blown into a mold to form the distinct four-sided shape, which leaves a flat or slightly concave base. The collars or lips around the openings are crude and hand-finished, typical of applied tops from the 1800s before fully automated machine manufacturing took over in the early 20th century.
The embossed symbols on the bottom of the bases are mold marks or manufacturer marks used to identify factory production lines, size capacities, or specific merchant orders.
The Letter "O" Mark on the largest piece represents a specific glass manufacturer mold or a size designation. The middle bottle’s bottom shows a standard finish showing the texture of the mold's base plate with corner bumps, highly typical of unbranded utility glass factories. Lastly, the large serif "H" on the smallest bottle’s bottom was used by European glassworks—such as certain Dutch factories producing bottles for traditional gin exporters like J.H. Henkes or similar distillers.
Smaller two bottles’ dimensions: (1) 9.25” high x 2.75” wide x 2.75” deep; (2) 8” high x 2.25” wide x 2.25” deep. See less