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Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys

Sat, Jul 26, 2025 11:00AM EDT
  2025-07-26 11:00:00 2025-07-26 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/tombstone-western-heritage-museum-auction-the-earp-brothers-cowboys-20021
Join North American Auction Company on July 26th for a once-in-a-lifetime auction of the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Collection. This extraordinary sale features the largest private collection of Tombstone history, including rare and historic pieces tied to Wyatt Earp, the Earp Brothers, and the infamous Cochise Cowboys. From original artifacts, outlaw relics, and the largest collection of C.S. Fly photographs, this is a can’t-miss event for collectors of the Old West’s most legendary chapter.
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Lot 428

Rare Tombstone Beverage Bottles, 1873 to 1884

Estimate: $500 - $750
Starting Bid
$125

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
For your consideration are Rare Tombstone Beverage Bottles, circa 1873 to 1884. Provenance: Tombstone Western Heritage Museum, Tombstone, Arizona. Included are two Lash's Bitters Co. embossed bottles, circa 1894, and a Saratoga Vichy Water Bottle, circa 1880s. Tombstone, during the territorial period and into the early statehood pre-prohibition years, had a number of historically significant saloons including the Oriental Saloon, Big Nose Kate's Saloon, and the Crystal Palace Saloon. These establishments, especially the Oriental, are linked to significant events in Tombstone's history, including gunfights and the town's boom years. Famous lawman Wyatt Earp sought to get rich by investing in mining or opening businesses in town. A few months after the Oriental Saloon opened, Earp gained control of the lucrative gambling tables and kept a lid on the violence that had made the Oriental scandalous to so many residents of the booming silver camp. From 1850 to 1899, many questionable medicines were promoted and sold in the USA. These were called patent medicines, proprietary medicines, or nostrums. Bitters was one category of these early medicines. In the 1800s, many tonic elixirs and elixirs were marketed with dubious claims, often containing dangerous or ineffective ingredients like opium, morphine, or alcohol. These products were promoted for various ailments, and while some were harmless, many were highly addictive or even dangerous. Lash’s Bitters was a prominent medicine, claiming to cure: Biliousness, Malaria, Dyspepsia, Indigestion, Headache, Sour Stomach, Neuralgia, Back Pain, and all afflictions of the Kidneys and Liver. The Lash's Bitters bottles are embossed on the reverse sides, "LASH'S BITTERS CO. NEW YORK, CHICAGO, SAN FRANCISCO. The first bottle's label says, "HOMER'S GINGER and BRANDY COMPOUND" and second bottle label says, "HOMER'S GINGER CORDIAL", the opening label says, "1884". Both bottles are corked. The Saratoga "blob-top" bottle says, "NATURAL SARATOGA VICHY WATER SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y." The Saratoga Vichy bottle has attached museum label that says, "DONATED BY PHIL HALTIGEN", museum code, "V-16". The bottles show great condition overall with little wear present and no signs of major damage noted. No cracks or chips present. The larger bottles each measure 3"W x 11"H, while the smaller bottle measures 2.5"W x 9.5"H. They have a collective weight of 3lb, 10oz.

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