Buffalo Lithia Water Bottle Value Guide

The Buffalo Lithia Water bottle is a premier example of early American medicinal glass, sourced from Buffalo Springs in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. It is highly collectible due to its connection to a landmark 1914 Supreme Court case regarding its lithium content and its iconic 'Nature's Materia Medica' trade mark.

What Is Buffalo Lithia Water Bottle Worth?

The typical price range for Buffalo Lithia Water Bottle is $100 - $110 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Condition of the embossed graphics, specifically the clarity of the seated woman logo.
• Presence of original glass clarity versus 'sick' or cloudy glass caused by burial.
• Intactness of the lip and base, as chips or cracks significantly reduce the $100-$110 market value.
• Historical provenance or the presence of an original label alongside the embossed text.

How to Identify Buffalo Lithia Water Bottle?

• Look for the distinctive embossed logo of a woman seated on a stone beside a spring.
• Verify the aqua-colored glass and the presence of a cork-style finish typical of the 1890-1910 era.
• Check for the specific 'Buffalo Lithia Water' text embossed directly into the glass body.
• Examine the base for authentic manufacturing marks consistent with late 19th-century American glassworks.

History of Buffalo Lithia Water Bottle

Hailing from Buffalo Springs in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, this water was marketed as a medicinal 'lithia water' cure-all starting in the mid-19th century. The bottle features a distinctive logo of a woman seated on a stone beside a spring, known as the 'Nature's Materia Medica' trade mark. The company famously faced a 1914 Supreme Court case when government testing found it contained so little lithium that it would take thousands of gallons to equal a single dose of the mineral.