Omega Patd June 21, 1870

Omega

Patd June 21, 1870

Aquamarine Quart

Provenance: Jerry McCann Collection

Our aquamarine jar embossed ‘OMEGA PATENT JUNE 21, 1870’ jar is extremely rare and unique at this time as only one quart jar has been reported.

The Omega jar is hand-blown and has a tooled applied lip. The copy is embossed on the face reading ‘OMEGA’ in a convex arch. Beneath this arched copy, in a straight line, is the embossed copy reading ‘PATd JUNE 21, 1870.’ The glass lid is embossed ‘PATd JUNE 21 1870’ on the outside. The three letters ‘B.B.W.’ are embossed on the underside of the lid.

The Omega jar closure is a top seal straddle lip glass lid held down by a coiled wire clamp. The jar uses the same closure and shares the same patent date as the SURE jar which is pictured below.

The patentee of the Omega jar was Thomas P. Gibbons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The glasshouse or maker is unknown and no advertising has been found for this jar.

104,574. —Fruit-jar.—Thomas P. Gibbons, Philadelphia, Pa. Claim.—1. The collar e, provided with tho flange d. in combination with the flange b on the head of the jar, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described. 2. The collar c, provided with the slots e, in combination with the bar f, substantially in the manner and for the object specified. 3. The cover h, provided with the diametrical groove i and the ears k, substantially in the manner and to the end set forth.

Thomas P. Gibbons

Primary Image: Omega jar imaged on location by Alan DeMaison, FOHBC Virtual Museum Midwest Studio

Support Images: Auction Lot 14857: SURE, Quart, PATd JUNE 21st 1870, Aquamarine. Closure: Original glass lid and a replica wire clamp. Appearance: Sparkling glass. Condition: Mouth damage. Embossing: Strong. Base: “PATd JUNE 21st 1870” encircling a “2” Age: c1870, Availability: Rare – Greg Spurgeon, North American Glass

Support: Reference to Red Book #11, the Collector’s Guide to Old Fruit Jars by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr. The use of Creswick illustration courtesy Doug Leybourne.

Support: Reference to Fruit Jar Annual 2020 – The Guide to Collecting Fruit Jars by Jerome J. McCann