jj melchers cosmopolite gin bottle schiedam the only pig snout gin known RARE RARE RARE!!!! Start Price AUD 2,600.00 Current Price AUD 4,257.00 Time Left - Bid Count 5 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, August 18, 2008 End Time Thursday, August 28, 2008 Location batemans bay, New South Wales See more about 'jj melchers cosmopolite gin bottle schiedam' Description i have left my best until last, reluctant sale.......  one bottle that i do not really want to sell, but i must, so here we have up for auction the only known example of the world famous jj melchers wz cosmopolite mans gin bottle. you may just think this is another mans gin , but this is the only true known example of a mans gin with a pig snout top, THERE IS ONLY TWO KNOWN , RECORDED PICTORIAL PIG SNOUT GIN BOTTLES, KNOWN TO DATE. THIS BEING ONE OF THEM AND THE OTHER ONE WITH A PICTURE OF A BIRD , BELONGING TO PETER IN THE NETHERLANDS. I DO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THIS BOTTLE WOULD BE THE OLDEST PICTORIAL GIN BOTTLE KNOWN THROUGH OUT THE WORLD. 1870S. this bottle can also be seen in the latest edition of the australian bottle and collectables review . also you can view this bottle on the web site www.gin-bottles.com if you are a mad gin collector like i am you should check this site out . now just some history on jj melchers the company kicked of in 1840 , now we all know that pig snout gins stopped around 1870 and moved on to the wrap tops .1870 was the year that jj melchers brought out there cosmoplite  mans gin, they would not have made to many of this bottle with the pig snout top with the man. before moving on to the wrap tops, this bottle was found off the indonesia coast line  the bottle its self is a very wide and tall bottle and quiet heavy , there is no issues with this bottle, apart that it was found in the ocean and therefore its very ocean washed and did have quiet some barnacles on it and sea growth. it would be a shame to get this bottle polished as i think it would just take away the aging of it , i think some bottles should be left alone and kept in there natural state. this is a extremely crude bottle and without a doubt probaly the best crudest and rarest bottle you will ever lay eyes on. the glass its self has loads of swerely lines running through it, and a very mad top, i have put a big reserve on this bottle due to the only one known but realisticly a bottle like this should be in a muesum back in the netherlands. any questions or extra photos, please dont hestitate to email me. i hope this little gem goes to a good home , if it makes reserve. bye for now. Place a Bid!