I have seen several stoneware jugs with similar marks in the Tucson
Urban Renewal collections.
 
The mark on the TUR jugs consists of the words "SELTERS/NASSAU" around
an Imperial eagle with "[?]R" on breast, all enclosed in an oval.  The
[?] letter may be an E or an F.
 
Measurements for three such jugs range from 29.5 to 30.0 cm in height
and 8.5 cm base diameter.  The base marks indicate the jugs were wheel-
thrown, the handles were definitely added.
 
I don't have dated contexts for these bottles yet, but I've guessed
somewhere in the last half or last quarter of the 19th century as a
working guess date.
 
I believe "Nassau" refers to the duchy of the same name in the former
Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau, now mostly in the German state of
Hessen.  Frederick William IV was king of Prussia in 1840-1861, so "FR"
on the breast of the Imperial eagle could signify "Frederick Rex", but
this is purely speculation on my part at this time.
 
"Selters" is also the name of at least three towns in Germany, two in
Hessen and one in Rheinland-Pfalz.  A German translator I've just consulted
says that "Selters" means something like "sulphurous water", so I suspect
the content of these jugs was mineral water.
 
I would be interested in seeing any published citations to these stoneware
jugs posted to the whole list.
 
Mike Jacobs
 
-------------------
Mike Jacobs - Archaeological Collections Curator
Arizona State Museum    Tel:    520.621.6312, 621.4609
University of Arizona   Fax:    520.621.2976
P.O. Box 210026         email:  [log in to unmask]
Tucson, AZ 85721-0026   www:    http://w3.arizona.edu/~asm/