FAKES, FRAUDS, REPROS, AND ALTERED COLORS

This page was added at the request of people always asking me the difference between authentic jars and reproduction, etc. jars.  The best advice I can give people who don't know or aren't sure of what they are looking at and, above all, educate yourselves.  Go to actual bottle and jar shows and check out the colors of authentic jars.  Be sure to talk to some of the other dealers/collectors.   There will undoubtedly be both authentic and reproduction jars at the same show.  Beware, the internet is a great place to buy and an easy place to deceive. 

Happy hunting!

REPRO DESCRIPTIONS

Reproduction fruit jars have been around since the early 1970's reportedly beeing made in Kentucky and Tennessee.  These pieces were made to mimic some of the more desirable Mason's Patent 1858s jars known at that time - milkglass, cobalt blue, amber, and lime green.  These jars are easily discernable by a Hero (hammered) cross on the reverse side.  With the exception of the amber jar, all have become collectible in their own right - fetching prices of $70+.   These jars also all came with a base mold number of "1171".

Beware of Mason's CFJ Patent Nov. 30th 1858 jars also.  These older reproductions also came in desirable colors - black purple, amber, cobalt blue, milkglass, and emerald green.  These jar did not have any base embossing.  In comparison, nearly all authentic CFJ 1858 jars I know of come with a base mold embossing beginning with a letter followed by numbers. 

As previously mentioned, reproduction 1858 jars came in a wide variety of colors - milkglass, amber, cobalt blue, lime green, emerald green, black purple, carnival glass, and cornflower blue.  Most of the earlier reproduction jars had base embossing of "851", "1171"," 971" or no base embossing at all.  Beware.

Repro "Trademark Lightnings" also exist.   They were generally dark amber in color and had the base mold number of "227".   There are originals though with the same base number to add to some confusion.  Recently, repro cobalt blue "Lightnings" have surfaced but are easily detected as such. They have a screw-on lids which never originally existed on the jar.

Also, there is a recent reproduction alert.   Mason's Improved Butter Jars have been showing up at flea markets across the Midwest.  These jars have new, black bands that are relatively "short" in comparison to the original band.  The jars I've seen are a greenish/black color with little resemblance to the aqua color commonly seen.  They are all of the "CFJ" (without the "Co.")  variety.  Of all examples I've seen, there hasn't been any base embossing.  These jars are very good and could easily fool even the advanced collector if the new band were to be replaced with an older original.  As always, be careful.

Can you tell which is the reproduction?

Below are all examples of recently made midget masons in unusual or "fantasy" colors.

ALTERED COLORS

Recent technology has allowed the altering of glass colors through irradiation.  Fruit jars aren't' the only collectible glass that has been affected by this recent trend of altering glass color.  Included below is a link to the National Insulator site that goes into great detail about the process and resulting coloration:

http://www.nia.org/altered/

Below are examples of irradiated Jars in Purple - caused by the manganese that was used to purify the glass, probably turned deep purple by intense ultraviolet rays, these jars were originally clear and colorless.

Below are more Irradiated Jars - turned "sick" amber from exciting the selenium used in the glass making process to purify the glass.  These jars were originally clear and colorless.  Ball and many other clear, colorless jars that have been "treated" can produce similar results, so beware!

One item I didn't happen to have a picture of concerns glass coatings or paint.  This happens a lot more than you think and some of the coatings are very good.

MISCELLANEOUS

Old glass is loaded with flaws and imperfections that also add character to the glass.  Cracks and such are part of these imperfections.   Cracks can be caused by some outside force such as banging it against another object.  Cracks can also come about by stresses trapped or introduced into the glass during the manufacturing process.  Most of these types of stress cracks (or fissures as they are commonly called) happen within the interior of the glass and can't be felt from the outside.  Most collectors acknowledge these imperfections as part of the making process and not as damage from some outside source.  Therefore, the value of most jars with these type of flaws isn't greatly affected.  It's all a matter of what is acceptable to the buyer.

Following is an article written by long time jar collector Bob Clay.  Bob is a former Ball Corporation employee and is a wealth of information with regards to the glass container making process.  In addition, Bob had one of the best Ball jar collections known.  Although he no longer collects like he used to, he still provides a ton of information to other collectors still active.  Recently Bob became concerned with the rising trend of people trying to pass off repro and altered jars.  Sorry, I didn't include the referenced pics from the article.  The text is well written and should clarify any questions.

REPRODUCTION LIGHTNING JARS

by Bob Clay

I had such a good response to the article concerning the reproduction 1858s I decided to write about the reproduction Lightning and Lightning type jars that frequently pop on Ebay.

First, about the 1/2 pints. According to the Redbook of Fruit Jars (and several expert 1/2 pint collectors I have consulted) these were reproduced in Taiwan c1985-1989. They are known in aqua, sky blue, lime green, and amber. They are known in several styles of embossing, which I'll get into later.

They are easy to spot if you know what you're looking for. These repros have a lid that is a little flatter and very slightly larger than an authentic lid. And there are NO dates embossed on the lids. The neck tie wire on repros will only have ONE twist in it, whereas the authentic half pints will have a wire twisted tightly 4 or 5 times. This is a dead giveaway to the repros. And I've even seen these with very pitted and rusty bails; that too, is easy to fake. And the glass itself has often been described as having an "oily or slick" feel and look to it. Authentic 1/2 pint Lightnings MAY or MAY NOT have a ground lip. There are both types known. The repros all have smooth lips, unless someone has ground it to make it appear ground. So the lip of the jar is NOT a good indication here. But all authentic Lightnings will have base embossing AND a mold number. The repro 1/2 pints DO NOT have a mold number with the exception of the ones base embossed PUTNAM 227.

Now for the known embossing styles of these 1/2 pints: (UNMARKED means no embossing on the side of the jar or heel area) 1/2 Pint: UNMARKED Smooth Lip Color: Aqua, sky blue and amber  Base Embossing: LIGHTNING PUTNAM (NO mold number on the base, base embossing usually light):

                        1/2 Pint: UNMARKED Smooth Lip
                        Color: Amber
                        Base Embossing: NONE AT ALL

                        1/2 Pint: LIGHTNING (on heel) Smooth Lip
                        Color: Amber
                        Base Embossing: PUTNAM 227

                        1/2 Pint: REGISTERED U.S. PATENT OFFICE (on heel) Smooth Lip
                        Color: Lime Green
                        Base Embossing: TRADEMARK LIGHTNING PUTNAM (no mold
                        number)

That pretty much covers the repro 1/2 pints. Now on to the quarts. The quart amber TRADE MARK LIGHTNING jars were made in 1986 in Taiwan and look pretty good at first glance. In fact, TOO good. They usually aren't whittled and don't have many of the imperfections the older Lightning jars usually have. These quarts are embossed on the base: PUTNAM 227. And here's where it gets a bit tricky; there are authentic amber quart TRADE MARK LIGHTNING jars base embossed PUTNAM 227 as well. How do you tell them apart? The repros have smooth lips, authentic ones ground lips. But sometimes, unscrupulous dealers will grind the lip since this is the most obvious way of telling them apart.

But the base embossing is a very good indicator. I've included a pic of a known repro 227 base. All the repros' bases LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE. There is a difference in the styles of the 2s on an authentic one, and other slight differences as well. This 227 has been described: "too crisp, too square and too small". And the base of the jar itself is somewhat flatter on a repro than an original Lightning. And the side mold seams run into the base a ways on authentic jars. The lid is also a good indicator. The repro lids will have a very rough appearance and feel. Almost like an orange peel. Very recently, there have been quart TRADE MARK LIGHTNING jars seen on Ebay that take a ZINC CAP. Obviously, these are easy to spot. I have seen them in pink, emerald green and cobalt blue. These have smooth lips and are also base embossed 227.

It is important to note that there's nothing wrong with collecting these, or ANY reproduction fruit jar. They are often an inexpensive way to add color at sometimes a fraction of the price an original would sell for. The problem is when one buys a repro thinking it to be, or represented as, authentic. It is also important to note here that most of the reproductions seen on Ebay not listed as such are NOT from known dealers. Reputable jar dealers that sell reproductions list them as such so as not to deceive or fool collectors. Their own reputation would be at stake. Often times repro jars appear listed as authentic or old from antique dealers and consignors that often do not know what they are selling. You can't blame them, one can't know all aspects of antiques. Even the   Roadshow has specialists in their fields. Collectors usually email sellers when they list one wrong. So be sure to check for an addition at the bottom of an auction if you're not sure.

And once again, if in doubt, ASK QUESTIONS! The seller may not know if it is a repro or not, and some won't disclose this even when they DO know. So it is always best to ask a reputable dealer or collector to check it out for you if you have any doubts about a jar. Most will be happy to help you; we were all novices at this at one time. And arm yourself with a good book on jars. The Redbook of Fruit Jars #9 by Doug Leybourne has a section in the back concerning known reproductions. I've always said, "buy the books before the jars". Email me, I can name several excellent books available, and steer you away from a few others that are trash. Learn all you can about jars, that is the very best way to avoid being taken by the multitude of reproductions on the market today.

Others will undoubtedly share many pics about these Lightning repros on this site. Enjoy the pictures and study them. Explore around on this site. There's a lot of knowledge here and some BEAUTIFUL jars! Happy collecting!

MORE ON COLOR TAMPERING

by Bob Clay

This is simply a compilation of information I have gathered over the last few months. I have received information from many sources; advanced collectors, a worker at a nuclear facility, several government as well as private websites and even people that have had these items done for them. Among them all, the consensus is the same: CAVEAT EMPTOR! Let the buyer beware! To those that have helped with this compilation, I and the ethics of our hobby, thank you!

"Nuked" or "Irradiated" Fruit Jars

For quite some time now, there has been a growing controversy within the hobby because of the appearance of jars which have been irradiated to "color enhance" the glass. That is, these jars are ARTIFICIALLY TREATED to obtain their color. Usually seen in an extremely dark purple (when manganese was used as a decolorizer in the original glass batch) and a smoky, brownish amber color, (when Selenium was used as a decolorizer) these jars are usually just common old jars which someone has treated to increase the price. The jars are indeed old, but they were originally just clear, common examples. Some may argue that this process is NOT artificial, because the turning of the glass would happen over years of time if exposed to the sun. That may be true, but still this process is hastened by a thousandfold, by man made intervention which makes it altered, or artificially color enhanced.

Many years ago, it was discovered that SOME clear glass jars would turn a light amethyst when exposed to the rays of the sun, such as on a roof top. Then it was discovered one could speed up this process of sun induced color by using a certain type of fluorescent tube light called a germicidal lamp. These lamps, which emitted high doses of the UV rays, caused the manganese in the glass to react and absorb all the visible light in the spectrum except violet. Thus, you see a shade of purple. But jars treated in this manner will not be the EXTREMELY
dark examples often seen today. This requires much more intense radiation or exposure to UV or gamma rays than these germicidal lamps produce. And the resulting glass is a much darker shade of purple when nuked as opposed to the purpling boxes used in the 70's and 80's.

Today, there are several methods of irradiating, or "nuking" glass as we call it in the hobby. Without getting really specific, one method is in hospital sterilizing equipment. Another form of nuking (and I highly suspect this is what is done to most of the jars we commonly see today) involves running the jars through a sterilization chamber at meat processing facilities, which often use cobalt 60 to expose the meats to enough radiation to kill off most bacteria. According to one website I researched, as much radiation as the equivalent of 3,000,000 chest x-rays! It's a wonder the jars don't come out actually glowing! And there are other sources of irradiation, which are pure gamma sources using ionized radiation which leave no contamination and are not radioactive. The results appear to be the same...either dark purple or mud brown depending upon the chemicals used in the glass batch itself.

Another point to look at when considering whether a jar has been nuked or not can be the lid. If the jar has a glass lid or insert that matches in color exactly, it is a good indication both were treated at the same time. Most glass lids were made totally independent of their containers, usually out of a totally different glass batch. So if the glass lid is the same color exactly as the jar, they very well might have been nuked together.

What is truly sad about the practice of nuking jars other than deception, is that more can be done at any time. So when someone pays a high price for a jar that is this nice dark purple, a hundred or even a thousand more could be colored this way in a matter of minutes.

To be sure, the dark purple jars are very attractive. And a collection of them would simply knock your socks off because the intensity of color. And, they ARE old jars, usually pre 1915 and earlier. The brownish amber jars contained Selenium, and most of them appear after 1915. But in essence, they were just common, clear jars that someone exposed to ultra high doses of radiation to change their color in order to sell them on the market to unknowing buyers.

There are also known examples of other colors, which were produced by varying processes involving radiation, but these are quite rare. Once it was discovered what could be done and how, the process was squelched for several obvious reasons. It was also discovered that often this nuking process can be reversed with application of high heat to the item, such as placing in an oven for a period of time. This has been disputed by one seller of irradiated glass, but I would simply suggest that he try it. It HAS been done by other folks. I have also been told that sometimes these items will lighten simply with age, but I have not seen enough examples for a long enough period of time to make that statement.

So in summation, when you see one of the ultra dark purple jars, or the brownish amber jars for sale, with almost 99% certainty, you can believe these were color enhanced by "nuking" them. There ARE a few known authentic examples of glass that have turned extremely dark purple via natural sunlight, and even then, I'm not sure they approach the ultra dark purple we see in the nuked jars of today. But the buyer should be cautious whenever one of these dark purple or brownish amber jars is offered for sale...it most likely has been nuked at some time, this is not a natural made color. If you don't know, don't be afraid to ask questions! There are many collectors and dealers out there that will give you an honest answer regarding these jars. And I'm sure many good pics of these nuked jars will be posted here. Look at them. Learn the colors. Don't be a victim.

So, should one buy a jar that has been irradiated? Well, that's your own personal preference. I've had a couple of them myself. And they ARE quite striking, or at least the purple ones are. But I, and many of the knowledgeable collectors won't pay a "premium" for a jar that is still a regular clear jar but has simply rolled up a conveyor belt with hundreds of others in a short process. And there likely will be thousands more coming...maybe millions! In my view, it is no different than painting a clear jar red and calling it ruby glass.

For access to many collectors that enjoy discussing old jars, copy and paste the following URL in your browser's address box or click here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fruitjars. Here you will find many honest collectors and dealers that put the hobby before personal gain. Many of us have well over 20 years experience in collecting and once you join the group (it costs nothing!) you will then have access in the FILES link to pics of many of the group members' collections. Some of the rarest jars known to exist are seen in these pics! Hope to see you there!

Bob Clay can be reached at:  raclay@earthlink.net