Early circa 1850s baseball known as a 'belt ball' due to the stitching design that resembles an "H" at the center. Hand-crafted from four pieces of dark leather, this diminutive baseball has a circumference of 8″ and weighs just 3.4 ounces. In the 1850s, the National Association of Baseball Players changed the standard specifications of a regulation ball to require that it weigh 6.25 ounces (up from the previous standard of 5.5 ounces) and have a circumference of 10.25″ (up from 9″). Given the measurements of this fantastic example, it would seem to pre-date either of those standards. In fine condition. One of the finest extant.
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