Auction Item Details
Lot 136
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Lot Number: 136
Description: Important Napoleon Lajoie single signed baseball c.1910s-1920s. Red and blue stitched Reach B.Johnson OAL baseball has been signed atop the side panel, "N. Lajoie." Vintage fountain pen signature rates 7 to 7/8 out of 10. Ball displays mild even toning with very light coat of shellac applied over signed panel and has just a touch of other scattered incidental wear (mentioned for accuracy). The panel below that which is signed has a small area of shellac and remnant of circle shaped adhesive mount resulting from prior display. League stampings are unaffected by this and remain unusually bold and well defined. This particular single circle Reach logo and printed on 1909 patent date place the era of manufacture c.1910s. The diminutive signature style employed by Lajoie is indicative of the early period in which it was signed. At this time players were unaccustomed to their signature being the only autograph placed on a baseball and in turn left ample room for teammates. By far the earliest Lajoie single signed baseball we know to exist and surely among the earliest single signed baseballs to have surfaced. These factors combined result in a highly important offering as relates to one of the greatest American League players of the 20th Century. Includes auction LOA from JSA: Displays EX-EX/MTEstimated Price Range: ($5,000-$10,000)
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