How Many Bay City Variants are there?

After a long, long hibernation from posts on this blog I figured it was about darn time to post something and try to resurrect the activity here! I apologize for dropping the ball with a severe lack of postings and thank you all for your patience. So with no further adieu, I bring to you a new and exciting blob top post!

 

I began collecting the Bay City SodaWater blob tops in the late 1990's and have owned or dug about 30 different examples over the years. From the start I was drawn to the Patriotic 5-Point Star emblem on the reverse side and the neat antlers and script on the front. What stood out next were the various colors and shades of cobalt, teal blue, teal green, light blues, and even aqua shades. But over the past couple of years I have discovered that there are many different variations in the embossing size, font style, and even the shape. What is known, is there are at minimum SIX distinct variants (see proof below). However, I would wager there are likely another variant or two out there that have yet to be accounted for. Of course there are several later Bay City bottles in the hutch, gravitator, and crown top styles, but for the purpose of this post we are talking about the earlier blob top Bay City variants.

• Variant 1 (The Circular "C" -- See far Left of Pic 1): Squattier than most, almost a Tepee/Tipi shape, with a completely round "C" in "Co." Myself and several other western diggers believe this is likely the earliest Variant, but they are often found side by side with Variant 2. I have only seen three Variant 1's in this Teal-Green which is extremely rare, and have also seen them more prevalently in shades of Teal Blue, Blue, and Cobalt. I firmly believe that these are western blown. The embossed Star is very crisp and balanced in size and shape. The Antlers are smaller and a different style shape than the other Variants.
• Variant 2A (The Block "C" -- See second from Left of Pic 1): These are often found right alongside Variant 1's in 1870's era locations. They are the most common Variant that I have come across. They have a more elongated body shape than Variant 1's. These also come in a variety of dark to light blue, cobalt, and teal shades. They usually have sparklematic glass like Variant 1's and I also firmly believe these to be western blown. The embossed Star is fairly crisp and balanced in size and shape. The Antlers are larger than Variant 1.
• Variant 2B (The "No Star" -- See Pic 5): This is the same as Variant 2A except for the fact that there is no star on the reverse side. This is the only known example found several years ago by a diver in the Sacramento River. It's the kind of bottle that shouldn't even exist....only it does, which is both awesome and weird at the same time. Did this precede Variant 2A, and perhaps even Variant 1, or is it simply the result of mould mistake? This also seems to be western blown. So what happened to the Star!?!?
• Variant 3A (The "Triangle on Bottom" -- See third from Left in Pic1, also Pics 2 & 3): This Variant is also a bit squattier in the shoulder area with a bit more of a bulbous blob top. The "C" in "Co" is circular in shape, yet larger than the "C" in Variant 1. These look to be eastern blown, but that is only a guess from observing the characteristics of the glass. The Star on reverse is not as sharply embossed as Variant 1 or Variant 2, and is larger in size with a more uneven, fanned-out appearance. Variant 3A is odd, and the only example I have seen with a small Triangle embossed on the bottom. Perhaps this is a clue to which glass house manufactured it. Any ideas?
• Variant 3B (The "No Triangle on Base" -- See Right side of Pic 4): This Variant is nearly identical to Variant 3A, only there is no triangle embossed on the bottom.
• Variant 4 (The "Tall Star" -- See Far Right of Pic 1): This Variant is most often seen in an a dark electric cobalt blue, often bordering on a purplish-cobalt tint. The "A" in "BAY" is rounded on top, unlike all the other Variants that have a half round/half pointed "A" in "BAY." The Star on reverse is slightly thinner in width and a bit taller than the other Variants. I found one of these in the East Bay and also viewed an example that was dug in downtown Los Angeles a few years ago. These may also be of Eastern manufacture as they usually come out stained and in need of a tumble.

I hope this gets some conversations going about the Bay City Sodawater variations, colors, age of production, and origin of manufacture. This is just touching on generalities and some of the more obvious differences in shape, and embossing font, size, and style. I'd love to hear if anyone has another Variant that I haven't seen yet or may have failed to mention in this post. Any additional info or pictures would be appreciated by many on this site :)