ITEM 2927. "S M & CO / N. Y. (ON APPLIED SEAL)" HANDLED WHISKEY, bright golden amber, inverted cone, tubular pontil scar, 8"H x 3 1/2"D, applied mouth, a mint bottle with a pinhead-sized spot of lip edge roughness. American, almost certainly blown at a New Jersey Glass Works, C. 1850, rare, ex. Charles B. Gardner collection.

This rare handled whiskey is almost certainly the product of a South Jersey glass house and as shown, the piece carries the always desirable Gardner provenance. Charlie owned a pair of these bottles (handled whiskeys were one of his favorite categories) and this is the better example. (Although for some strange reason the damaged example is pictured in a color plate.) Any applied seal handled whiskey is a scarce item and this is one of the harder-to-find bottles in that category. Of the examples we have encountered, this is certainly the finest.