These little oval shaped hand blown pill bottles are always popular among collectors. They were made in this shape so they could easily fit into a pocket or purse but as time when on, they were eventually replaced with tin containers and eventually paper tubes, much like Tums or Rolaids come in today. Like Tums and Rolaids, these were Digestive Tablets (for treating heart burn, upset stomach, etc.) and the BILE BEANS title gave them a deeper medically correct sounding term, a more serious connotation (bile) with all of the 'quack' CURE ALL pills on the market at that time. This is the larger size of this bottle, there are also smaller ones that are that I believe may of been a little older. Then there were also some variants, some with flat panels, some with very LARGE embossing, and there was even a Smith's BLOOD Beans, looking exactly like this one except with the word BLOOD inserted in place of BILE. We've only seen a few of them ever. In summary, what makes this an exceptional bottle is: 1) It is an early hand blown into mold bottle. 2) It is nicely embossed. 3) It is this tiny size and attractive oval shape. 4) It is a light purple color.   You hear about old glass turning purple in the sunlight ...the purple color is the result of having manganese in the glass.  Manganese is a mineral, a rock, that was mined, crushed, and pulverized into a powder, then added to vats of molten liquid glass, and acted as a decolorizing agent to turn the natural aqua-tinted glass into a pure crystal clear colorless glass.   Then it was blown into a mold to create a bottle, jar, or other object.   But when exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun or other sources of UV rays, it triggers a chemical reaction and the manganese starts to oxidize and slowly turns a lavender or amethyst color.   The end result is what collectors refer to as SCA (Sun Colored Amethyst) glass.   The longer it is in the sun the purpler it becomes.  This bottle was passed through some concentrated UV rays. which has the same affect as the sun, but a lot faster.   It has not been colored, stained, or altered.    No matter how a bottle or jar has turned purple (direct sunlight or UV rays in controlled environment) they all turn the same purple color as it is the same chemical reaction taking place.   The only difference is the time it took to turn purple.  What is important is that a bottle or jar has to be old enough to turn purple as with few exceptions, only clear glass from before 1915 has manganese in it and will turn SCA.  Then, with the beginning of WWI, manganese was no longer available as foreign imports deceased and domestic resources turned towards the war effort.   Selenium sulphate then replaced manganese as a glass de-colorizer and when exposed to UV rays, it turns a yellow / straw color, and a dark burnt amber color.  In summary, not only does this deep purple/amethyst color make this a great looking antique bottle, but it also authenticates it as being truly antique, check it out!

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