Mt. Rainier and Lenticular Clouds - Dec. 2008 copyright: JMM

April 7, 2017

That Time I Found Sandwich Glass

I was checking out all the broken glass in the mud and was bummed out cause it looked like your regular, garden variety contemporary beer bottles. But then I spied a solid cylindrical clear piece sticking out of the mud.  I absolutely knew with a shadow of a doubt that it was Sandwich glass.  I was so stunned.  Then I took a closer look at the glass bits and realized that there was A LOT of Sandwich glass stuck in the mud.

I swooned when I picked up this cranberry piece.  It's as rare as red beach glass is and a total 'holy grail'.  This kind of stuff is better not worn down by the waves and sand.  Some pieces are slightly worn but most are in good shape considering they've been stuck in the mud since the mid 1800s.


I didn't pick up much of the clear unless it was super thick, meaning it would be old.  I couldn't believe the treasures I was finding.

I had a pocketful by the time I left.  


That's the piece that first caught my eye.  I found purple!

I have no idea what the top of this belonged to but it's very thick, heavy glass.

There's piece of slag in the back, next to some more green chunks.


One of the best hauls ever!  😍😍


This is glass slag which is also an amazing find!

The next day, I dragged Russell with me at low tide to go back and dig some more except I forgot my garden spade.  We found even more treasures!




I couldn't stop raving about this find.  Red is soooooo rare.

Russell found this one.  My friend Silvia said it looks like 2 hearts melting together.










Everyone knows I'm not a 'dig in the mud' kind of person but this was worth the filthy hands, shoes and clothes.  After we left this spot Russell showed me another one that he'll take me to dig at once we can get some decent boots and maybe hip waders.  It's very muddy and a very slippery walk out there....I wasn't about to attempt it yesterday although it was tempting to try.



There won't be any glass on this side though.


22 comments:

  1. What lovely finds! Red, OMG, you are lucky!
    About 30 years ago, we went rummaging around Dog Creek and found where the old glass factory was, all we found were (cobalt)blue glass fragments. God alone knows where the fragments are now.

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    1. Thanks!!! I love glass so much. I definitely want to go back and dig some more! I still have a vase full of the Sandwich glass my parents found when they moved here in the 50's.

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  2. I must say I don't understand at all. Just looks like junk to me. What on earth would you do with a bottle neck?

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    1. It's very, very old glass, mostly from the old Glass Factory. Sandwich glass, intact pieces, are rare and bordering on priceless. These fragments are such an exciting find. I guess if you don't live here....but my fellow town friends are thrilled with these finds, and I think they are planning on going down there themselves. I want to try again with a spade.

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  3. How fabulous. Lots of great pieces. Nothing like a successful treasure hunt!

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    1. I know! I want to go back! lol

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  4. Wow!! a huge collection of beach glasses.. the red ones are so gorgeous..

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    1. Technically it's not beach glass cause I dug these out of the mud at the salt marsh at low tide, but they are amazing finds. Red is so rare.

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  5. What a haul!!! They are just beautiful and the red one is a nice prize. Hugs, LJ

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    1. Thank you! I'm so pleased with it!

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  6. Wow. Worth the dig and your man is a good sport. The two hearts sum it up
    That red is fabulous. Congrats!

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    1. Thanks!!!!! It was very exciting! I'm resisting the urge to go back. Erosion is bad enough in those marshes without me weakening the mud and grass by pulling stuff out of it. lol My finds are really awesome though.

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  7. I have never heard of sandwich glass! That piece that looks like the two hearts? SWOON!!!!! We collect rocks at Nauset that look like hearts, but that is fantastic!

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    1. I love heart rocks too! You know I've never been to Nauset? Next time you are down here, stop in downtown Sandwich and visit the Glass Museum. You won't be sorry. And let me know cause I'd love to meet you!

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  8. That's amazing and quite a haul of antique glass. Wonder why it collects in certain spots ?

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    1. Because the factory sat right there at the edge of the marshes and that's where they dumped the broken glass and slag. It was huge in it's day and not a big of it exists now.

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  9. the red is gorgeous! and the heart glass does look like two melted together. my son and I have always collected sea shells and he loves rocks. I have sea shells from when I was a teen, so from over 30 yrs ago. :)
    you have a beautiful collection. the greens and reds are my favorites.
    hugs,
    Marie

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    1. Thanks Marie! I am debating whether to go back. I mean this was a pretty productive 2 days of looking around. I know some of my friends would like to poke around down there too. Although one of them said she thought it wasn't legal to pick for Sandwich glass anymore but I never heard that.

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  10. Anonymous7:59 AM

    Holy bananas! You got a ton of great stuff. I'm with you, JoJo. I love the red and the heart. I wonder where it all came from. It's worn but not to the point that its too thin. I'm glad you went back the second trip. Well worth the trip.

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    1. Thanks Elsie! And....I couldn't stay away so I went a third time. lol Then I gave up my spot to fellow glass hunters who asked me if I'd be willing to share the info. haha But don't worry, this summer I'm going into that creek with old clothes I don't care about getting soaked and muddy to dig. lol I'm not a mud person at all, so you can see how motivated glass makes me. lol

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  11. You always find such cool stuff!phyllis

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    1. If I ever visit you, I'll be searching for arrowheads. I am dying to find one. I found 2 when I was little but it didn't have the impact that finding one now would have! lol

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