Antique Bottle & Glass Collector

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Hop on Over to Australia And be barreled over by this incredible beer item By Ralph Finch

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ong-time collector Travis Dunn, editor of the Australian Bottle and Collectables magazine, also runs ABCR Auctions of Melbourne, Australia. Their latest sale contains: “Auction 41, with 991 Lots featuring some great GIANT items, more rare milk bottles, beers, ginger beers, marble bottles, poisons, advertising jugs, Kingsware, pot lids, early books and so much more!” (They call that a “giant” auction? Not one ketchup bottle, and not one single roll of old toilet paper. OK, it did include one Victorian “Toilet Pull with Chain.”) Of the sale, which ended July 25, I picked out one item of note: Lot 411, an embossed “G. Wilmot / Hop Beer / Colac*” with a “3” impressed on the back. A Victoria Majolica barrel with a wide mouth top and matching majolica lid. 3 Gallon. Travis says that this would have been made by the Bendigo Pottery around 1900.”

Lot 411, a Victoria Majolica barrel embossed “G. Wilmot / Hop Beer / Colac*” with a “3” impressed on the back.

“What a sensational item. This is different to the only other one we’ve sold. The previous one was two gallon and had an internal thread top. There are six small chips around the upper rim (two have been roughly filled). Crazing throughout. Some general dirt and grime. The ribbons have had green paint on them, most of which has been cleaned off. All these marks are really pretty minor in the overall scheme of things. Lid has chips on the outer rim. Crazing with a couple of short

fine hairlines. Wonderful item, possibly unique in this size.” Reserve: $4,400. Estimated at $7,500–$10,000 AUD (that’s $5,220–6,960 U.S.), plus **GST. I asked Travis for more information, and he replied: “Lot 411 is a very interesting item. We have sold two before — actually we have sold one, twice! In Auction 12, Lot 410 was a majolica G. Wilmot, Hop Beer, November 2020

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