Auction Item Details
Lot 82
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Lot Number: 82
Description: Magnificent 1865 Hampden B.C.C. "Champion…Western Massachusetts" silver trophy ball with ornate original box - one of the finest examples in private hands. Presentational ball done in metal bears a lengthy engraving which begins, "Champion Ball of Western Massachusetts, Presented in Trust to Hampden B.B.C. of Chicopee, July 29, 1865." Noted below are scores of various games which were both won and lost by Hampden and the ball would have been passed from team to team (as decided by the victors of those games). These games took place in both 1865 and 1866. Likewise etched into the surface is an ornate decoration. The ball comes housed in it's original wooden presentational storage box (measuring 4" on all sides) which has a crossed bats design on the lid which accented by an affixed figural baseball. Both the ball and box represent the pinnacle of design with regard to such pieces (relative to the time period) and rank among the finest of their type to have been offered at auction. The historical importance of the trophy ball is detailed in "The Hurrah Game", a book first published in 2002, and written by a pair of historians who delve deep into the history of baseball in Northampton. In short, the ball was passed from Hampden to the Florence Eagle Base Ball Club and then back again before being retired from service. A team photo showing the 1866 Eagles appears in the second edition of "The Hurrah Game" (page 12) and a caption below relays the belief of the authors that this exact ball, in the box, is shown on a table at the center. Both the Hampden and Eagle Clubs represent some of the most talent of their time in the Western Mass region. The ball remains in exceptional condition with the slightest touch of light handling wear. Box is similarly well preserved however some of the supporting pegs inside (which cradle the ball) have been reaffixed in place: Ball EX/MT-NM, Box EXEstimated Price Range: ($25,000-$50,000)
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