Buffalo jars are rare and old. If you have a mason jar with this logo, it was manufactured between 1885 and 1886. [1] X Research source

This logo is called the 3-L logo because the decorative loop at the end of the logo looks like a third L in the Ball name. [3] X Research source

At this time, Ball also adopted the 2-L style logo, where the decorative loop on the end of the name was dropped.

These Ball mason jars were manufactured in 1890. [5] X Research source

“Improved:” There were a few times when Ball produced jars with “Improved,” including in the 1890s, when the jars were printed with “Ball Improved 1858. ” Later, the jars were produced with the wording “Ball Mason Improved” between 1900 and 1933. “Special:” Between 1910 and 1913, Ball mason jars were printed with the words “Ball Special Mason” in all block letters. “Perfect:” Between 1913 and 1922, the word “Perfect” was slightly offset, and is left indented from the word “Mason” below. [6] X Research source “Sanitary:” This word was printed on Ball mason jars around 1913 and 1915 to indicate that they had the sanitary sure seal. The word “Sanitary” is in all capital letters, is italicized, and appears below the Ball logo. “Ideal”: These were made between 1915 and 1962. “Square:” Jars with the word “Square” were produced in 1925. “Eclipse:” These wide-mouthed jars were made between 1926 and 1952.

In the 1920s and early 1930s, Ball produced 40-ounce (1. 2-L) jars that were used for coffee, and 42-ounce (1. 24-L) jars that were popular with bootleggers. [7] X Research source To measure the capacity of your jar, fill it with water and then measure the amount of water the jar holds.

Blue glass Ball jars were produced in the late 1890s and early 1900s, but the company stopped producing these in 1937. There were also some brown amber jars produced in the 1950s, but most of the jars produced after the 1940s were made of clear glass. [8] X Research source

One of the most common error jars is a Ball jar with a misspelling of the word “Perfect,” and common variations include “perffct,” “peprect,” and “perefct. ”

Mold numbers are generally a number between zero and 15, and they’ll sometimes have a letter included as well. [13] X Research source