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 affects the value of Buffalo Lithia Water Bottle?

• 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.