Mason Ball Jar

This jar was given to me by a friend who runs an Agate Museum in Grand Marais,MI. The Museum name is the Gitche Gumee Agate and History Museum. When she handed it to me she explained that it was owned by the founder of the museum, Axel Niemi,and most likely was used by his mother/grandmother,in canning fish and veggies and such,to last the long hard Upper Peninsula winter's. I was so shocked at her generosity and that I now was the owner of something with such history behind it,that it was later that evening before I thought to examine it a little closer.On the outside of the jar itself(raised glass lettering)say's "The Ball Jar,Mason,Patent,1858" when I read the date I literally began to cry,as I had studied and read up on the museum and the story behind it, in preperation for learning more about Agates. Later I was sharing the story with my parents,and what I thought was a pewter lid,my dad explained,"no,I believe it is an origional zinc lid,made for those jar's" sure enough,the inside of the lid(which still has the ceramic type disc,white),on the disc,it says "Genuine Boyd Cap For Mason Jars" OH! and the glass has a slight green tint to it too. of course,obviously,it is full of some of my best rough Agates I have found over the years.