PENNSBURG, Pa. - TelAve -- 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.

"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."

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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.

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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.

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.