Glass Collectible Experts: What is this marking on this decanter?

January 18, 2009 8:43 AM

Glass Collectible Experts: What is this marking on this decanter?

I have a decanter set that has Federal Glass Company glasses with it with the Federal Crest on them. The decanter has what looks like an Oval shape with a Ring around the top half of the oval, somewhat like an early 1900's woman with a hat on, but obviously more primitive than that. Photos included

Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3

posted by MMALR to shopping (5 answers total)

It might be Jesus haunting your decanter?

What it looks like to me, though, is when the decanter was still hot from production, it was set down on something to make that ghostly imprint. Purposefully or not.
posted by gjc at 11:01 AM on January 18, 2009

If the glasses have the Federal Shield, are you sure that the decanter is the same set? From the pictures you provided, it looks like an Owens-Illinois mark to me, complete with plant/year info on the left and right. More info here.
posted by gemmy at 11:14 AM on January 18, 2009

Looking at the pictures again, I'm pretty sure that's an Owens-Illinois mark. So if the left number is a 7 and the right number is a 6 (hard to tell from the photos), that would mean it was made in Alton, Illinois in 1936.
posted by gemmy at 11:21 AM on January 18, 2009

Gemmy is right. That's an Owens-Illinois mark. I had a decanter in my shop with a mark of similar fuzziness (for lack of a better term). I "read" the first number as possibly a 9, but you will be able to determine it better than either of us through touch and sight.
posted by julen at 3:48 PM on January 18, 2009

Thank you so much everyone. The set doesn't seem to be complete at all. The glasses coming with the set are Federal glasses with the F and crest, but the Decanter doesn't seem to be hte same style at all, and the shot glasses aren't vintage. I think the set was just put together from scrap glass pieces.
posted by MMALR at 12:54 PM on January 19, 2009