By Anne Gilbert
Enquirer contributor

The continuing interest in old glass food containers is reflected in auction sales. While the market for "Mason" canning jars and milk bottles has leveled off, prices continue to rise for 19th century glass jars and bottles.

Bringing top dollar, however, are rare colors, historical "firsts" and novel figural forms. Condition is important; no heavily scratched surfaces, chips or cloudy glass.

In America, the earliest jars made to preserve food were free-blown from 1790 to 1850. These rarities were sealed with whatever was at hand.

By the 1830s, a variety of jars for preserves, pickles, etc., were commercially blown in nearly all the glass factories that made bottles. The names of the glass works sometimes were scratched on the side. A common color was deep green.

The first important step in making airtight food containers was patented in 1858 by John Landis Mason, a tinsmith. His invention combined a mold for a jar with a threaded mouth and a zinc, screw-on lid. All the jars, for the first time, were a standard size and could use the same lid style. Unfortunately, the zinc added an unpleasant flavor to the food.

It wasn't until 1869 that the bad taste was eliminated, when Lewis Boyd of the New York Metals Co. created a white glass liner for the interior of the zinc lid.

When they can find them, collectors pay hundreds of dollars for the New England jar, ribbed jars used to preserve foods. They were introduced around 1860 and are rarities since they weren't mass-produced.

For eye appeal you can't beat the 19th century Cathedral pickle jars and pepper sauce bottles. Usually aqua in color, they have a gothic arch design. The larger examples, topping 6 inches tall, can sell for $400 or more.

By the late 19th century, pickle jars were made in amber, aqua and clear glass. Early Heinz pickle, Tabasco sauce and pepper sauce bottles were hand-blown from 1889 to around 1909, and had paper labels. When found with labels intact, prepare to pay several hundred dollars.

Once foods in glass containers could be safely transported around the country, competition grew among suppliers. The result was glass containers in interesting shapes with unique designs and colors. Since so many were made in the late 19th to early 20th century, prices for most are modest.

Color also counts when it comes to fruit jar prices. Rarest are black, purple, green, blue, amber and milk glass.

Q&A

What is the value of a combination pen and pencil marked "MT & Co." and on the pen tip "John Poley New York 1866?"

Your eyedropper-filling pen with repousse, gold-filled overlay was made in 1920 by MabieTodd & Co. in London as well as in the United States. It was called "the swan" and came with a variety of finishes. Yours could sell in a shop for around $200. Contact Anne Gilbert by mail: c/o Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202. Photos cannot be returned.