Circa 1825-1835 Columbia / Eagle flask sells for a record $177,840 in Glass Works Auctions' online auction held May 4th

This circa 1825-1835 Columbia / Eagle flask by Kensington Union Glass Works (Philadelphia, Pa.) sold for $177,840. It was a new record auction price for an American flask or bottle.

A new record auction price was achieved for lot #37, a circa 1865-1870 medium amber semi-cabin Harvey’s Prairie Bitters bottle, 9 ½ inches tall. The bottle realized $33,930.

Circa 1845-1860 Vogel’s Panacea bottle (Philadelphia, Pa.), square form and emerald green in color, just under 7 inches tall, believed to be the only known example of the bottle ($17,550)

Circa 1880-1890 Seaworth Bitters Co. bottle, aqua in color and in the shape of a lighthouse, 11 ¼ inches tall, unearthed just outside Cape May, New Jersey in 1974 ($17,550)

Circa 1855-1865 Horseman Hound pint bottle, probably from the Baltimore Glass Works, light to medium pink amethyst, featuring a smooth base and applied double collar mouth ($14,040)

Other world auction records were also set, including one for a circa 1865-1870 medium amber semi-cabin Harvey’s Prairie Bitters bottle, which brought $33,930.

It was the prize flask in the Watson collection and was well known throughout the flask collecting community. In all the auction was very successful, with several individual records established.”

— James Hagenbuch

PENNSBURG, PA, UNITED STATES, May 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A circa 1825-1835 Columbia / Eagle flask by Kensington Union Glass Works (Philadelphia, Pa.), the very rare shorter 12-ounce mould with the single smooth wide vertical rib, sold for a staggering $177,840 in Glass Works Auctions’ online-only Premier Auction #192 held May 4th. It was a new record auction price for an American flask or bottle.

The auction featured choice selections from the collection of Richard Watson, one of the best-known collectors of bottles and flasks in the country. He started collecting in the late 1950s and continued until his death in 2014 at age 82. The late Charles Gardner was his mentor. Watson published two books on bitters bottles, in 1965 and 1968. His wife Elma did the line drawings.

“We knew the Columbia / Eagle flask was going to receive strong bids, as only a very few exist in both the mould and color,” said James Hagenbuch, the owner of Glass Works Auctions. “It was the prize flask in the Watson collection and was well known throughout the flask collecting community. In all the auction was very successful, with several individual records established.”
The flask, lot #1 in the catalog, was the overall top achiever of the 101-lot auction, which totaled a robust $497,000, including the buyer’s premium (all prices quoted here include the buyer’s premium). The flask was a light shading to a medium yellowish citron green pint, featuring an open pontil and sheared and tooled lip. An identical but damaged example sold for $925 in 1983.

Another record price was achieved for lot #37, a circa 1865-1870 medium amber semi-cabin Harvey’s Prairie Bitters bottle, 9 ½ inches tall. “Probably less than five or six of this mould exist, and this one was an exceptional example,” Hagenbuch said. “The combination of its rarity and unusual attractive appearance attributed greatly to the final price.” The bottle realized $33,930.

Two outstanding bottles posted identical prices of $17,550. One was a circa 1880-1890 Seaworth Bitters Co. bottle, aqua in color and in the shape of a lighthouse, 11 ¼ inches tall, unearthed just outside Cape May, New Jersey in 1974. It was nearly perfect except for some light inside haze.

The other was a circa 1845-1860 Vogel’s Panacea bottle (Philadelphia, Pa.), square form and emerald green in color, just under 7 inches tall. It is believed to be the only known example of the bottle and was the most important pontiled medicine bottle in the entire Watson collection.

A circa 1855-1865 Horseman Hound pint bottle, probably from the Baltimore Glass Works, light to medium pink amethyst in color and featuring a smooth base and applied double collar mouth, brought $14,040. It was just the second one seen by Glass Works Auctions in that striking color.

A circa 1865-1875 National Tonic Bitters bottle, yellowish amber shading to a deeper amber color semi-cabin, 9 ¼ inches tall, with roped corners and a smooth base, commanded $11,150.

A circa 1845-1865 Dr. B.H. Kaufman (Lancaster, Pa.) Stomach Bitters, an ‘attic find’ bottle, medium blue green, 9 ¼ inches tall, one of only a very few known, changed hands for $9,360

A circa 1850-1860 Ravenna Anchor Glass Company (Ravenna, Ohio) light to medium yellowish citron eagle pint bottle, with applied double collar mouth, in perfect condition, went for $8,775.

A circa 1866-1875 Doctor Fischs (Pennsylvania) fish-shaped bitters bottle (“W.H. Ware / Patented 1866”), 11 ½ inches with a smooth base and applied mouth, near perfect, hit $8,190.

A circa 1848-1855 medium cobalt blue bottle featuring busts of George Washington (“The Father of His Country”) and Zachary Taylor (“Gen. Taylor Never Surrenders”) made by the Dyottville Glass Works (Philadelphia, Pa.), with open pontil and sheared lip, earned $8,190.

A circa 1855-1870 Baltimore / Anchor Glass / Works (Baltimore, Md.) (“Phoenix Rising From the Flames / Resurgam”) pint flask, medium yellow with a hint of topaz, gaveled for $7,020.

A circa 1825-1835 J. Shepard & Co. (Zanesville, Ohio) pint bottle, golden yellow with an olive tone, boasting an extremely bold impression with superb color and condition, achieved $7,020.

A circa 1862-1875 St. Drake’s (New York) Plantation Bitters (“Patented 1862”), medium topaz with a hint of pink, just shy of 10 inches tall and in the shape of a log cabin, rang up $6,435.

A circa 1860-1870 IXL Valley / E+B Bevan (Pittston, Pa.) whiskey bottle, with seven side panels having embossed 5-point stars, reddish amber bulbous form and in pristine about perfect condition, considered by many to be one of the most desirable whiskey bottles, made $5,265.

A circa 1860-1870 unlisted pint flask featuring clasped hands beneath 13 stars, a mounted cannon and the American flag, probably Midwestern US, deep yellow with olive coloring, a rarity from the Watson collection and different from the documented version, earned $5,265.

A circa 1845-1860 Wells, Miller & Provost (New York) glass jar, deep bluish aqua in color, 11 inches tall and in perfect condition, with wonderful bubbles and glass whittle, achieved $4,095.

Overall, the auction featured examples from most every category of American bottle and historical flask. More than 3,500 registered bidders combined to place a total of 811 bids.

Glass Works Auctions’ next big online-only auction event is Premier Catalog Auction #193, slated for June 2026. It will feature over 325 quality bottles and flasks, with examples in most every bottle collecting category. Watch the website for more details, at glassworksauctions.com.

Glass Works Auctions has offices and a gallery in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania. The firm is always accepting quality bottles and related items for future auctions. To inquire about consigning a single piece or an entire collection, you may call them at 215-679-5849; or, you can send an email to info@glswrk-auction.com. To learn more, you may visit www.glswrk-auction.com.

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Jim Hagenbuch
Glass Works Auctions
+1 215-679-5849
email us here

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