Bay City Soda Water Bottles

Q: I would like to know the current price for various old bottles from San Francisco’s Bay City Soda Water Co.

A: Bay City Soda Water Co. was in business from 1871 to 1913. The bottles were embossed “Bay City Soda Water Co. S.F.” and have an embossed star on the back. They were made in green and various shades of blue. The blue bottles are fairly common, but the green bottles are rare. Both blob-top and Hutchinson-type bottles were made. Blob-top bottles were sealed with a cork and a wire closure. Hutchinson-type bottles had spring stoppers, patented by Charles Hutchinson in 1879. Value depends on the color of the glass. We can’t tell the exact color of your bottle without seeing it, so we can’t give you a value, but a Bay City Soda Water bottle in “medium coloration” sold recently for $130.