This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Hundreds of different molds were used to produce those jars and sometimes the mold cutter engraved the lettering in slightly different positions relative to the top line of text. I can say that the clear Ball Perfect Mason jars all date after 1937, when the color was changed from aqua or Ball Blue to clear glass. ~David. $12-15.00, Atlas E-Z Seal A frisbee-shaped glass lid took the place of the screw-on lid and was held in place by an ingenious wire clamp, invented by Henry William Putnam in 1882. I mention those number-letter marked jars in the third paragraph under the subheading MOLDS in my article. The jars with grips were introduced in about 1933. Sometimes during production the molten glass (that was blown under pressure into the inside of a mold) didnt fill in all the engraving perfectly, leaving missing portions on the finished piece. I have some blue jars which are in the Logo 5 category according to the chart. I have a few of them that I bought in the 70s for my jelly. Such jars also have a faulty screw and can go for over $800 on eBay or on yard sales. My brother has ball jars that are hand blown. The older types of BPM that date from the 1910s-1930s in aqua or blue were made in the hundreds of millions over many years, so they are considered extremely common. People also reused the containers because they were effective storage jars. Fruit Jar Annual is updated every 1-2 years and contains info on most jars including circa dates. Hi I have a Ball jar that dates between 1933 -1962 based on the Ball logo. Debra, Liz, all Ball jars are not necessarily marked with mold numbers. More valuable jars include the amber E-Z Seal jars made around 1910. Please refer to the Red Book of Fruit Jar Price Guide for a detailed list. Hello, I have just got a collection of jars (house dates back to 1920s) and a lot of jars. I have various (old) Ball (Perfect Mason) jars used for storing dried foods, several are 1/2 gal. And, they can still fetch you a nice price, either individually or in bulk. Hope this helps! All Rights Reserved. Caitlin, Best regards, David. WebThe Ball Upside-down Mason jar has two sizes 1.2L (40 ounces) and 1.24L bootleggers design. Are My Old Stamps Worth Anything? Because i have a regular job and have been VERY, VERY pressed for time. I also have a quart size Ball Perfect Mason, square, with 13F on the side and bottom. I have a collection of porcelain liners,and I would like to know what was embossed on the porcelain liners for ball mason jar lids,so i know what they are like the next time i go to a dump. If you have access to a local flea market or antique mall that stocks Ball jars with lids (most have at least a few! The self-sealing design was messy and stressful. Up here in MT you are fortunate to find them for 4$ a piece. Take care and I hope this helps a bit, Bless your heart for any time you have left over to address the inquiries you receive on your site. For $150-$400, you can get an antique Cork-top, Ball lightning jar, Improved by Hero, Violet jar, Sun Jar, and Willoughby Topple. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. A number of error jars are found among the Ball Perfect Masons, including examples found with the embossing missing a letter (or letters), or with a word misspelled, such as PERFFCT, PEPRECT or PEREFCT. The addition of a glass liner under the metal cover made the new mason jars airtight. Lead was added to the recipe for high-quality flint glassware such as crystal stemware to increase the brilliancy of the glass. So, as they improved their design, companies added slight variations to the letterings. Here is a link to an ebay Keyword Search string to find jars that fit that description (although some of the search results will not be relevant) : Nan, I believe there are several jars known that fit that description. A listing of many of the Ball Perfect Mason jar variations, including error jars, can be found in the Red Book, a price guide used by fruit jar collectors. Some dedicated and experienced antique jar collectors will say they think the number 13 jars are just as common as jars as those with other numbers. 3 is a mold number. There is stippling or knurling (a pattern of raised dots) present along the contact surface/perimeter of the base. I dont know how common the 41 jar would be, compared to other mold numbers seen. I found a green Ball perfect Mason pint jar. I also hope everyone will follow the link to the entire article written by Karen M. Vincent, which includes more detail and context in addition to the chart. The word standard also is written at angle. The Universal jar is one of the most valuable Mason jars for collectors. Laura, thanks for your post! Longtime, knowledgeable (Serious) Ball fruit jar collectors might be able to give us better information on dating, and I invite anyone landing on this page to chime in if they have ANY clues to help narrow down this age range. (I compare it to blowing a large bubble gum bubble, partly sucking it in for a split second, and blowing it back out). The company started making mason jars back in 1880, and many people today still use these for canning, or collect the jars as a hobby. I purchased bottles at an estate sale. It is seamed and the word THE is in the reverse swirl of the M of Mason. (Iron is an essential trace element required by the human body). Yes, it is pretty common to see embossing on a bottle or jar which is very faint or partly illegible. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. I am trying to find a zinc lid for this charmer but a regular standard lid is too large. Your jar is one of many slightly different variants of the more common type of screw-lid Mason jar produced by Ball just BEFORE they started producing the ubiquitous Ball Perfect Mason jars. Has B17 on front below PERFECT MASON and B17 on bottom of jar. $10-12.00, Aqua Ball I have some mason jars with no marking at all along the side, but it says ball on the bottom. Thats one of the later, machine-made types of Wax Sealer fruit jars. Can anyone tell me about this style jar? Are you sure that is the 3 L variation? KY.G.W. That is very interesting and I appreciate it. Then, in 1896, Cursive lettering took over. Perhaps a reader can give us some feedback on it! Chief Mason Jar from 1870 is easy to recognize with The Chief logo on the side with an over imposed K on top of it. Best regards, Most Ball mason jars which have an aquamarine bluish tint to them carry little to no collectors value at all, according to Glass Bottle Marks, because they are not I found a faint green jar with Ball Mason on it. Your experiences (indicating the old jars as more sturdy and less prone to breakage) gives clues as to why so many of the older Ball Perfect Mason jars are still around! This may have first shown up around the year 2010 or thereabouts. WebWeight: .41 Pounds. Along with the logo, you can sometimes use the color, size, and other distinguishing marks to help date a mason jar. There are many minor variants of Ball jars, sometimes found in various shades of true green (not aqua). John Mason invented and patented the process for cutting a thread onto the lip of glass jars, as well as a corresponding thread inside zinc lids, which could then be screwed tightly onto the jars. I cant give an exact reason why some are marked with numbers but others are not. Does anyone know when they made that jar? They are hermetically sealed, a technology that was invented by John Lantis Mason in 1858, hence the name. Not only because it has a unique cork lid but, there arent many in existence. Does this make it any rarer, and is it possibly just an earlier one before the Perfect was added? PS. According to the stories, they threw them away, or intentionally broke them, fearing their enterprise could otherwise be met with bad luck. I emailed the Ball Corp. and Ardagh Group about the date for my jar. The markings and characteristics are similar to the Pint size jars described above. Hundreds of millions (probably upwards of a billion or more!) 16 Ounce Wide Mouth Ball Mason Jars | Case of 12, 16 Ounce Regular Mouth Anchor Hocking Mason Jars | No Lid | Case of 12, 8 Ounce Regular Mouth Mason Jars | No Lid | Case of 12, 8 Ounce Regular Mouth Quilted Ball Mason Jars | No Lids | Case of 12, reCAP Kids EXPLORE Mason Jar Bug Catcher and Habitat | Glow Green, reCAP Mason Jar Soap Dispenser Lid & Pump Cap | Regular Mouth | Black | GIFT SET, reCAP Kids EXPLORE Bug Catcher, Firefly Mason Jar + Book Gift Set, Kombucha Kit, Brew Your Own with 1 Gallon Jar, reCAP Mason Jars Pour Spout Lid & Tap Gift Set with Jar | Regular Mouth | Black, reCAP Mason Jar Water Bottle with Infuser Screens | Set of Two, MasonBrite Magnified Light Displays for Wide Mouth Mason Jars Kit v2.0, The Daily Jar Tote/Jar Bag: Organic Waxed Canvas-WFTO Certified, Harvest Guard 50 Piece Bulk Mix Regular and Wide Mouth Reusable Canning Lids (25 of each size lid) (50 of each size gasket), Cuppow Mason Jar Silicone Sleeve for 8oz Jar | Blue, reCAP Mason Jar Lids Five Piece Starter Set, reCAP Mason Jar Sprayer & Pump Cap, Regular Mouth, Cuppow Mason Jar Divider Cup BNTO | Wide Mouth. ", less1920-1930 gives me a little more content and makes me treasure it more as I visualize her life. Best regards, But before we jump in, liets take a look at some of the history behind these vintage collectibles. I have several old Ball mason jars , I heard that the blue colored ball jars were unsafe for canning food due to something in the color leaching into the food. By the way, similar wax sealer jars but marked BALL / STANDARD on the front were made by Ball Bros Glass Company sometime in the circa 1895-1912 time period. Please check out my article on this site about the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/ba\/Date-Old-Ball-Mason-Jars-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Date-Old-Ball-Mason-Jars-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/ba\/Date-Old-Ball-Mason-Jars-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid4914400-v4-728px-Date-Old-Ball-Mason-Jars-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"