The Federal Law embossing — Federal Law Forbids Sale or Re-Use of This Bottle — ran on all American spirits containers from 1935 through the mid-1960s, a regulatory requirement born from post-Prohibition concerns about bootleggers refilling commercial bottles with untaxed liquor. The 1949 base date on this flask places it precisely in the postwar period, when American spirits production was surging back to meet domestic demand after wartime restrictions. The wide amber flat flask form was one of the standard mid-century spirits formats — designed for shelf display rather than pocket carrying, the broad shoulder and flat profile giving it the architectural presence of serious barware.
Embossing: FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR RE-USE OF THIS BOTTLE wrapping the full shoulder. Base date code 49 confirming 1949 manufacture. Otherwise unbranded — no distillery name on this bottle.
Condition is excellent. No chips or cracks. Deep, clean amber glass with authentic age-appropriate patina. The Federal Law embossing is sharp and fully readable throughout.
Dimensions: 8.25" H × 4" W × 1.75" D | Amber glass | Excellent vintage condition
The wide amber flat flask is immediately readable as mid-century American bar culture — the form and the Federal Law text together position it as a serious spirits collector piece even without a brand name. Works as a bar cart centerpiece alongside branded Federal Law bottles, as a statement bud vase for a single tall dried stem or grass where the amber color provides warm contrast, or as a dark academia shelf piece where the regulatory text and the 1949 date carry historical weight.
Recovered from New York City’s historic shorelines and landfill sites by Brooklyn Sea Glass. Ships carefully packed.
