5 7/8”h., Amethyst, soda lime, compressed spherical body with cylindrical neck flaring out slightly, patterned with 20 vertical ribs against 20 swirled ribs, pontil scar; attributed to the American Flint Glass Manufactory, Manheim, Pa., c.1763-1774, some typical light scratches and high point wear otherwise excellent overall condition, undamaged; see American Glass by George McKearin plate 232, no, 3, for the only known swirled Stiegel flask, 20 rib; see page 362 in Glass in Early America by Arlene Palmer, no. 352, showing diamonds over flutes pattern, identical flask shape. This example has beautiful color!!! Who would everything of finding a Stiegel flask with all the trimmings in a broken swirl??? Stiegel pocket flasks have been highly prized by antique enthusiasts and glass collectors alike, for nearly 100 years. In the book American Glass, author George McKearin makes reference to plate 232, no. 4 & 5, “ribbed flasks with expanded vertical and swirled ribbing”, and goes on to say “It is worth noting that these ribbed patterns in amethyst are much rarer than the usual diamond- daisy and ogival patterns in the same color. To date we know of only one amethyst flask with swirled ribbing patterned with 20 ribs, the example pictured on plate 232, published in 1940. The 20 rib broken- swirl example offered here is unrecorded, recently discovered, unique among Stiegel flasks!!!