Antique Wine Labels and Bin Labels

Despite wine bottles being made to a standard capacity by being blown in a mould as early as 1821, it was illegal to sell wine by the bottle for another 40 years.  When it did happen it caused the introduction of paper labels on bottles, but previously a way had to be found to identify wine bottle contents.

It was achieved by putting all wine from one barrel, or from one consignment, in a compartment in the cellar, called a bin.  To identify the contents of a bin, a pottery (usually) label was hung on the cellar wall adjacent to the bin.  Sometimes in large houses and under commercial circumstances, a bin would be identified with a number and a cellar book kept to correlate the numbers with the wines.

When the bottle was taken to the dining room and decanted, the decanter contents were also identified by a label, but now it was a small silver (usually) ticket, known today as a wine label.

Wine lables are avidly collected, and we keep a fine selection.  We place emphasis on high quality and good condition over rarity of name.  We would prefer to have a label for Madeira (the commonest of names) heavily cast in silver and gilded by a royal silversmith, than a lightweight label with a mis-spelt name made in a Scottish provincial town - although the latter might cost several times as much.   However we do have rarities as well, from time to time.

4030 A Pair of Wine Labels for Port & Sherry

4030 A Pair of Wine Labels for Port & Sherry

This is a good, straightforward pair of wine labels for Sherry and Port. They were... Date: 1811

Price: UK customers £185, US customers $305

4045 A Fine, Rare and Large Silver-Gilt Label for SHERRY

4045 A Fine, Rare and Large Silver-Gilt Label for SHERRY

This large and impressive wine label is a very rare model. It is die-stamped in... Date: 1852-55

Price: UK customers £1,350, US customers $2,230

4046  An Elegant  Set of 4 Ring Wine Labels

4046 An Elegant Set of 4 Ring Wine Labels

An alternative to suspending a label by a chain was to make a tapered ring... Date: 1800

Price: UK customers £1,600, US customers $2,640

4047 A Rectangular Wine Label for CAPE

4047 A Rectangular Wine Label for CAPE

Small and relatively lightweight wine labels (of which there are many) are not usually of... Date: c.1830

Price: UK customers £220, US customers $365

4048 A Rare Copper-Gilt Wine Label for HOCK

4048 A Rare Copper-Gilt Wine Label for HOCK

When the expression Sheffield plate is used, it commonly refers to a method of fusing... Date: c.1760

Price: UK customers £210, US customers $345

4052 A Pair of Mother-of-Pearl Crescent Wine Labels

4052 A Pair of Mother-of-Pearl Crescent Wine Labels

During the late 18th century, the crescent became a favourite shape for wine labels, and... Date: c.1780

Price: UK customers £260, US customers $430

4073 A Fine Initial Silver-Gilt Wine Label for 'M'

4073 A Fine Initial Silver-Gilt Wine Label for 'M'

Initial wine labels became very popular in the opening years of the 19th century, having...

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4077 A Rare Silver Wine Label for FONTANIAC

4077 A Rare Silver Wine Label for FONTANIAC

Mis-spelt names on wine labels have always been collected, and perhaps the most famous of... Date: 1828

Price: UK customers £720, US customers $1,190

4084 A rare Early Delftware Bin Label for PORT

4084 A rare Early Delftware Bin Label for PORT

This is the earliest type of 'standard' bin label, and it is chacterised by its... Date: c.1750-60

Price: UK customers £1,100, US customers $1,815

4085 A Blue Delftware Bin Label for PORT

4085 A Blue Delftware Bin Label for PORT

This is the earliest type of 'standard' bin label, and it is chacterised by its... Date: c.1750-60

Price: UK customers £1,100, US customers $1,815

4086 A Pottery Bin Label for BUCELLAS

4086 A Pottery Bin Label for BUCELLAS

The form of this bin label is the standard 'squared coathanger' shape, with a projecting... Date: c.1850

Price: UK customers £275, US customers $455

4087 A Pottery Bin Label for NOYEAU

4087 A Pottery Bin Label for NOYEAU

Thos bin label is of rounded coathanger shape, and has an all-over cream glaze with... Date: c.1850

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4089  An Electroplated Wine Label for MASTICA

4089 An Electroplated Wine Label for MASTICA

This is a lightweight electroplated label, but the interest lies in its apparently unique name... Date: c.1890 - 1930

Price: UK customers £120, US customers $200

4125 A Pair of Initial Wine Labels for H & P

4125 A Pair of Initial Wine Labels for H & P

This is a pair of wine labels with several differences from the run-of-the-mill lables I... Date: c.1825

Price: UK customers £220, US customers $365

5003 A Magnificent Silver-Gilt Wine Label for Port

5003 A Magnificent Silver-Gilt Wine Label for Port

This wine label is finely cast in the form of a garland of fruiting vine... Date: 1806

Price: UK customers £1,950, US customers $3,220

9571 A pottery bin lable for PORT

9571 A pottery bin lable for PORT

This bin label for Port is the 'square coathanger' type, and has a up-raised suspension... Date: c.1820

Price: UK customers £130, US customers $215

9573 A pottery bin label for 'PORT'

9573 A pottery bin label for 'PORT'

This bin label for port has black lettering against a bluey-white glazed ground. The glaze... Date: c.1840

Price: UK customers £130, US customers $215

9674 A Silver Initial Wine Label for S

9674 A Silver Initial Wine Label for S

This small silver wine label is a type known as postage stamp because it is... Date: 1840

Price: UK customers £95, US customers $155

9763 A Magnificent Silver Gilt Wine Label for SHERRY

9763 A Magnificent Silver Gilt Wine Label for SHERRY

This is a really fine wine label made in 1806 by Digby Scott and Benjamin... Date: 1806

Price: UK customers £2,950, US customers $4,870

9775 An Enamel Wine Label for Claret

9775 An Enamel Wine Label for Claret

Enamel wine labels are a rarity and this is a pretty example for CLARET. It... Date: 1890

Price: UK customers £425, US customers $700

9785 A fine  and Rare Enamel Wine Label for MALAGA

9785 A fine and Rare Enamel Wine Label for MALAGA

This is a good example of a rare form of English wine label which is... Date: c.1760

Price: UK customers £1,150, US customers $1,900

9807 An Impressive Enamel Wine Label for PORT

9807 An Impressive Enamel Wine Label for PORT

This is a fine enamel wine label for port. The label is decorated with sprays... Date: 1748-1753

Price: UK customers £850, US customers $1,405

9830 A Pottery Bin Label for MADEIRA

9830 A Pottery Bin Label for MADEIRA

This is a standard 'coathanger' shaped bin label, and the back is clearly impressed WEDGWOOD.... Date: c.1880

Price: UK customers £140, US customers $230

9872 An Important Silver Gilt Wine Label for HOCK

9872 An Important Silver Gilt Wine Label for HOCK

This is among the grandest of English wine labels. It is formed as a leopard's... Date: 1833

Price: UK customers £1,650, US customers $2,725

9873 A Large Shaped Crescent Wine Label for Claret

9873 A Large Shaped Crescent Wine Label for Claret

This is an unusual variety of the crescent shape of wine label which was popular... Date: 1822

Price: UK customers £675, US customers $1,115

9874  A Cast Silver Wine Label for SHERRY

9874 A Cast Silver Wine Label for SHERRY

This is a fine quality cast silver wine label for SHERRY. At this date, 1867... Date: 1867

Price: UK customers £295, US customers $485

9875 A Plain Silver Escutcheon Wine Label for SHERRY

9875 A Plain Silver Escutcheon Wine Label for SHERRY

This shape of wine label is known by collectors as an escutcheon. It was among... Date: 1822

Price: UK customers £195, US customers $320

9876 A Small Cast Silver Wine Label for HOCK

9876 A Small Cast Silver Wine Label for HOCK

This an attractive wine label of relatively small size for a cast label. It is... Date: c.1835

Price: UK customers £165, US customers $270

9877 An Oblong Wine Label with Reeded Edge for SAUTERNE

9877 An Oblong Wine Label with Reeded Edge for SAUTERNE

This is a pretty wine label of a type which remained popular for several decades... Date: 1827

Price: UK customers £210, US customers $345

9879 An Oblong SIlver Wine Label for CLARET

9879 An Oblong SIlver Wine Label for CLARET

This is a good practical wine label. The overall shape is an oblong, and it... Date: 1825

Price: UK customers £160, US customers $265

9889 A Rare Set of 14 Pottery 'Coathanger' Bin Numbers

9889 A Rare Set of 14 Pottery 'Coathanger' Bin Numbers

This is a very rare part set of bin numbers. Most bin numbers are circular and... Date: c.1860

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9898 A Part Set Of Circular Bin Numbers

9898 A Part Set Of Circular Bin Numbers

Bin numbers were usually made circular and about 3" (75mm) diameter. They were particualrly popular... Date: c.1890

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9919 Two Small Bin Labels for Port & Madeira

9919 Two Small Bin Labels for Port & Madeira

These are two unusual bin lables from a set. One bears the legend '2 MADEIRA',... Date: c.1850

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9927 A Fine Set of 6 Silver Wine Labels

9927 A Fine Set of 6 Silver Wine Labels

This is a fine set of 6 wine labels made in 1828 by Charles Reily... Date: 1828

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9958 A Very Rare Pink Lustre Spode Bin Label for Bronte

9958 A Very Rare Pink Lustre Spode Bin Label for Bronte

This is an extremely rare pottery bin label for Bronte, and one which provokes activity... Date: c.1830

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9960 A Rare Delftware Bin Label for PORT.

9960 A Rare Delftware Bin Label for PORT.

This is the earliest type of 'standard' bin label, and it is chacterised by its... Date: c.1750 - 1780

Price: UK customers £1,100, US customers $1,815

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