This is an old soda bottle, intact, from the former 1800's resort of Collins Beach, on the upper Delaware Bay. The hotel and resort were lost in the October 1878 hurricane, the effects of which being well documented here. The bottle is embossed with "J.E. EDWARDS" and "CHESTER, PA" on one side and a giant "JE" on the other, and obviously predates 1878.
This was taken from the beach at the site of the old hotel last year; there are a bunch of glass and pottery shards in the peat - a ton of artifacts (intact) would probably be found with a little digging. As a known site with surface artifacts, I was loth to take this bottle (as opposed to the "at large" things I find on the beach or bay), but it was literally rolling on the surface and would probably have been lost to the Bay at the next high tide. This site would probably benefit from the attentions of serious archeologists to document life on the Delaware Bay at that time.
A buddy of mine found a well-preserved brass gas lap fixture at the same spot, which he kept. I'm not sure I would have, but who knows?
You would need a canoe or kayak to get to this spot, and if you go, I encourage you to disturb as little as possible.
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