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4711 bottle - please help me identify...

post #1 of 9
Thread Starter 
Hey friends,

I've just (rather hastily) posted this in the Male Frag Discussion forum, and feel I should have done so here instead... (sorry for the double up!)...

Today my wife and I visited our local fleamarket. I tend to enjoy looking over their things because here, particularly in Europe where the continent is OLD, you can find some very nice treasures.
I met a french woman who has lived here in Denmark for over 20 years, and on her stall she had a bottle of 4711 Eau de Cologne buried deep in a basket under some old postcards and an antique marionette. I often run across old cylindrical or round 4711 bottles at the markets, but this one was quite unusual. Ive never seen 4711 presented in this "cognac" style flacon before, and dont seem to be able to find anything online either.
I noted the seal had not been broken. When I picked it up, she told me it was "very old", but could not estimate its age. There is no sticker or information other than the label shown. On the base of the bottle there is a "V" and a "1" embossed in the glass. My guess is that it contains 150 - 200mls of fragrance. Its approximately 17cms in height (have placed a standard sample next to it in order to give you an idea of its scale). Unfortunately there was not any packaging.

I paid a mere $2.10 US / 1.30 for it and took my purchase home.
Does anyone have any idea as to the vintage, or why this shape bottle? Its an oddity, and even if worthless, I feel it a very nice find.

Thanks team!

post #2 of 9
Don't have any info on it but want to congrats on the nice fine.
post #3 of 9
That's absolutely beautiful! Great find, Dimitri.

Perhaps it was a limited run or a special gift? I've only ever seen 4711 bottles (even antique and mini bottles) in the traditional "barrel" shape.
post #4 of 9
Hey, Mister Aqua Shock Champ! If you don't know ...!

I found this bottle on a couple of ebay sites, but the sellers didn't offer much in terms of identifying its era. One seller who describes it may not be correct in calling it 4711 Tosca (the label is missing). I believe Muelhens manufactured Tosca at some early point; maybe both used this rare style for a limited edition. Tosca was back then labeled "4711 Tosca" in a familiar turquoise and gold style.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-4711-B...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-TOSCA-47...2em118Q2el1247

Not much help, I know, so let me compensate with these two lovely advertisements:


post #5 of 9
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone,

The ads are fab an_oud_girl! Love the vintage stylings!

I've also found this bottle just recently on ebay.de. It appears twice, and has been advertised as 4711, with a vintage of ca. 1960. I've also shot an email off to 4711 with a photo to see if they may be able to offer me any more insights. I'll keep you posted as to what I may find out.
post #6 of 9
Thread Starter 
A little update: I have received word from 4711 Headquarters in Köln that this bottle was in production in the 1930s! I have supplied further information to see if we might be able to accurately determine the vintage of this particular bottle.
post #7 of 9
Thread Starter 
Here is the final response I received from 4711 today re: this bottle...

"This particular bottle was produced with various labels and in different sizes from 1930 up to 1950. It is difficult to tell you which is the definite date of your bottle, but the lable seems to be out of the earliest times of production."

Which is a rather exciting outcome. With this in mind, I dare say I'll keep the bottle sealed... I couldn't fathom opening it now with a 70-odd year vintage.
post #8 of 9
Beautiful bottle!
I love Tosca too BTW.
post #9 of 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitri View Post

Here is the final response I received from 4711 today re: this bottle...

"This particular bottle was produced with various labels and in different sizes from 1930 up to 1950. It is difficult to tell you which is the definite date of your bottle, but the lable seems to be out of the earliest times of production."

Which is a rather exciting outcome. With this in mind, I dare say I'll keep the bottle sealed... I couldn't fathom opening it now with a 70-odd year vintage.

Dimitri, I admire your restraint in not opening your bottle, but as a chemist I don't think I'd be able to resist if it were in my hands. If you're ever tempted, you might consider buying a bottle of compressed argon or carbon dioxide (CO2) and filling the headspace in the bottle after you've extracted a sample. Bottles of argon and/or CO2 are often availble in specialty wine shops.
Since both argon and CO2 are heavier than air, it should remain in the bottle for quite a long time and will actually be less reactive (and therefore more protective) than the air that is currently in it now. If you do take the plunge, be sure to have a bottle of new 4711 on hand that you can compare the vintage stuff to, then report your comparison on Basenotes (of course!).
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