G.A.Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters

G. A. Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters

S 112

G. August Simon, San Francisco, California

Yellow with Olive Tone Square

Provenance: Richard T. Siri Collection

There are thirteen bottle brands of embossed western square bitters that were made and sold during the second half of the 1800s. Four of those were made specifically in the 1860s. This includes our museum example of G. A. Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters, Dr. Boerhaave’s Stomach Bitters, Rosenbaums Bitters, and Alex Von Humboldt’s Stomach Bitters. All are represented in our museum. Dr. Renz’s Herb Bitters and the E. G. Lyon’s & Co. bottle could be counted too but these bitters continued into the 1870s.

Our 10 ¼ tall, extremely rare, G. A. Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters square has arched shoulders and four inset beveled panels. The bottle is embossed ‘G. A. SIMON’S’ top-to-bottom reading on panel 1, ‘MEDICATED AROMATIC’ on panel 2, and ‘BITTERS’ on panel 3. The 4th panel is blank, has no embossed copy, and is where a paper label would have gone. There is a long tapered collar and applied mouth. The base is smooth. The glass color and character is extraordinary.

Looking at the various volumes of San Francisco ship passenger lists and California wagon train lists in the first half of the 1850s, we see a listing for A. Simon arriving in San Francisco, California in 1852. We see our first listing for Augustus Simon, syrup manufacturer, in the 1856 San Francisco City Directory. He had set up a distillery and began manufacturing syrups, cordials, and bitters. It is interesting that August never used his first initial ‘G’ when using his name, except on his bottle.

In 1861, August Simon went to work with the Sainsevain Brothers who by 1858, led the state of California with a production of 125,000 gallons of wine and brandy. Mercado & Seully would take over the vast operation in 1863 and 1864.

Read El Aliso, Jean Louis and Pierre Sainsevain and their California Wine Bitters.

In 1863, August Simon, now a salesman working for Mercado & Seully, was part of a dispute that erupted over the manufacturing of Sainsevain’s California Wine Bitters. A court battle ensued in which August Simon lost. In November 1865, Simon applied for and received a certificate of trademark and name for a new bitters which would have been his G. A. Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters.

This bottle was likely made at the Pacific Glass Works. There are three known examples in collections. A somewhat damaged but whole yellow with olive-tone example was found in an abandoned well outside the old mining town of Plymouth, California in 1978 when the well was dug out. Pieces of vibrant puce and yellowish-green specimens were dug in North San Juan and in San Francisco, California.

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:

S 112 G. A. SIMON’S // MEDICATED / AROMATIC // BITTERS // sp //
10 ¼ x 2 5/8 (7 ½) ¼
Square, Amber, Puce, Yellowish green, Emerald, LTC, Applied mouth, 4 sp, Extremely rare
Only two or three known whole undamaged specimens. Pieces of vibrant puce, yellowish-green and emerald green specimens dug in North San Juan, California and in San Francisco, California.
A dark emerald green example was found inside a well in the old mining town of Plymouth, California in 1978.

Primary Image: G. A. Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters imaged on location by the FOHBC Virtual Museum midwest studio led by Alan DeMaison.

Support: Reference to Bitters Bottles by Carlyn Ring and W. C. Ham. Use of G. A. Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters illustration courtesy Bill Ham.

Support Image: Second paired example of a G. A. Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters from Jeff Wichmann, American Bottle Auctions.

Support Images: Sole amber G. A. Simon’s Medicated Aromatic Bitters example from the Warren Friedrich collection. Green shards image from same.

Support Images: Auction Lot #51: G.A. SIMON’S MEDICATED AROMATIC BITTERS. Applied top with a crack in the edge of the “medicated” panel. Trade Marked 1865. Although a fairly common shape, don’t let this early San Francisco bitters fool you. Not only is it one of the earliest bitters, it is one of the rarest. Seen in a few different colors including yellow, bright green and the yellow-green we see here, these bottle have the inset panels and a very early type top and base. According to the label, this product was presented for trademark in 1863 and approved in 1865. It is one of the earliest bitters made in the west, most likely at either Pacific Glass Works at Mariposa or San Francisco Glass Works at the corner of Rich and Townsend. We are aware of only a few known examples in any condition and there are most likely no more than a half-dozen out there. This one has no grade because of the crack which is 5 ½” long and has been secured with resin. In addition, the top from the neck up has been replaced. We are amazed that the top not only fits the bottle so well but it is virtually an identical color. It’s very hard to tell that there even is a new top. – Jeff Wichmann, American Bottle Auctions, Auction 70, Part 1 of the Don Dwyer Collection

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