Acronyms: OP= open pontil, IP= iron pontil, SP= sand pontil
Anthony- Providence?
We'll start off with a rather mysterious one! This iron pontiled soda has ANTHONY embossed in big block letters. I initially wrote it off because one website attributed it to NYC. However, after digging a smooth based example in RI, then having a friend dig a pontiled one, I decided to do some digging. An Edward Anthony was dealing in soda in the 1850s, he even partnered with David G. Hall (see below) for two years. Without that first initial it may be impossible to prove, but for now I'm going with RI.
George Finck- Providence, RI
This one is certainly an Easter egg, if not a misidentified bottle. Yes, George Finck was a bottler, but he was not listed until 1873. That's more than 15 years after pontiled sodas were last made in 1857 (yes, some tireless experts have narrowed it down to one year!).
Whether this is fluke or fiction, here's a picture of the identical smooth based example.
D.G. Hall- Providence, RI
One of the more common pontiled RI sodas. It is a simple yet beautiful bottle with one arched line of embossing. There are two variants, one has a blob style lip, and the other is more tapered. The tapered version is harder to find.
Ira Harvey- Providence, RI
A famous name in the world of pontiled soda bottle collectors, Ira Harvey is best known for his "Teepee" shaped bottle with a massive open pontil that gives it a value north of $10,000. The fabled teepee also comes with an improved pontil, which is also extremely rare.
Of course we can't forget the classic Ira Harvy (misspelled) with iron pontil. I would call it rare-very rare. It has also been rumored this bottle comes with an open pontil.
Last but not least there is a nice green porter style Harvey with an iron pontil.
J. Harvey & Co.- Providence, RI
What some might call the "other" Harvey, J. Harvey is a bottler shrouded in mystery. I have not been able to find a single advertisement or listing in a city directory for this company. Even with the address on one of the bottles, nothing turns up. I can narrow the date of these bottles around 1857 (give or take a few years), since both variants come in identical pontiled and smooth based versions.
The common version has J. Harvey & Co. embossed in block letters around the bottle, then 65-1/2 Canal St. Providence, RI embossed around the heel. All versions have a backwards N in Canal. I would rate this one as scarce in green, and rare in other colors (extremely rare in the color shown below).
The scarcer version has J. Harvey & Co. Providence, RI embossed on the front with a fancy H on the back. These are usually found in dark green/olive green colors. I have one that almost looks black pictured below. I would rate these as rare. There is also a version listed simply as "J. Harvey" with no "Co", but I have not seen this bottle, and am doubtful it exists. If it did, it would be extremely rare.
E. Jenckes- Providence, RI
It wasn't until two years ago that I was able to prove that Ezra Jenckes was a soda bottler in Providence from 1856-1858. Like the Anthony and J. Harvey bottles, the embossing is in large block letters. Found with smooth base and improved pontil bases, the pontiled examples are very rare.
S. & J. Marlor- Providence, RI
One of the more obscure pontiled sodas from RI. They were not in business long, likely only from 1855-1857. There are two versions. The porter style is the more common variant, but I would call it rare.
The Magnesia & Mineral Waters version is also rare. It comes in a blue aqua color (rare), and emerald green (very rare).
Read & Hall- Providence?
This is one that I cannot substantiate. While there was a Rufus Read listed as a brewer in Providence, and D.G. Hall was there as well, there is no record of them ever forming a partnership. This bottle is very rare. For now though, I will include it in the list until it is proven otherwise.
Penno's Mineral Water- Providence, RI
A fun mineral water bottle that is hard not to like. It comes in a couple different shades of green, all of them are rare.
Dr. Wadsworth- Providence, RI
Perhaps the most elusive and exciting of the RI sodas is the Dr. Wadsworth ten pin shaped soda. Probably even earlier than the OP Ira Harvey, this aqua bottle has an open pontil was well. The only documented example had a broken top, so finding one of these would be a real treasure!
(No picture)
Isaac C. Williston- Providence, RI
This is the rarest pontiled RI soda known! Even the Wadsworth ten pin has at least two known examples, while this one is unique. It was found by a diver near the India Point area of Narragansett Bay. It is simply embossed "Mineral Waters / Providence, RI / I.C.W. I was so determined to find out what the initials stood for I spent hours looking through the old Providence almanacs, and my perseverance was eventually rewarded! Mr. Williston was the predecessor to Isaac Penno.
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