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Christy Mathewson baseball

Hi, I'm new here, so forgive me if I'm doing something wrong. But I just wanted to get people's opinions as to the likelihood that this baseball signed Christy Mathewson is legit. It does have a COA from JSA, but from other things I've read that doesn't necessarily mean a whole lot. Thanks!

Tags: Christy Mathewson, autograph, baseball

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on February 28, 2016 at 4:22pm

matches up favorably with one of the exemplars on PSA's site. very rare.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on February 28, 2016 at 4:45pm

I agree with Terrier. The autograph looks pretty typical to me.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on February 28, 2016 at 4:57pm

Mark,

I rotated the ball for easier viewing. I'm going to email Richard Simon to see what he thinks. He's a baseball specialist dealer.

Anyone have other experts they can ask? If so, please do.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Greaves on February 28, 2016 at 5:05pm

OK, thanks. I'm not sure why the photo was rotated, it was oriented correctly on my computer.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on February 28, 2016 at 7:53pm

Mark,

I'm not well-versed in vintage baseball, so I'm not going to comment on the autograph itself. Something to keep in mind with sports autographs more than any other category is that they usually have no guarantee of authenticity, especially at auction, and often no practical return privilege, if they're fully certified by PSA/DNA or JSA. That means if one of them says "Oopps!" later on, you're left holding the bag.

This looks like it could be one of the best Mathewson balls known, so I think it could bring six-figures, right? I'd ask if PSA/DNA has seen it, or if any other baseball experts have, and if so, ask for a report of what they thought of it. In most cases, you'll want consensus on it. And if it hasn't been analyzed under different kinds of lighting, in person, and by other respected nondestructive forensic methods, I'd want to get that done or have a long enough return privilege to do so.

I don't want you to lose out on something that would be one of the premier pieces in most collections, but it's really important that you use your head as much as your heart when considering the purchase of something like this.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on February 28, 2016 at 8:13pm

"And if it hasn't been analyzed under different kinds of lighting, in person, and by other respected nondestructive forensic methods, I'd want to get that done or have a long enough return privilege to do so."

Agree! Esp with regard (signature form aside) to lighting and examination for age, materials and alteration/enhancement etc.

Eric

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on February 29, 2016 at 12:53pm

That is some very good advice Steve. I totally agree. I am providing a link to the PSA exemplar that Terrier referred to so that others may compare the autographs as well. Good luck Mark. Please keep us posted.

Christy Mathewson Autographed Baseball

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Permalink Reply by Mark Greaves on March 3, 2016 at 12:18pm

Thanks for all the helpful comments here. An update to the story: yes, we did buy the ball - a friend of mine and I went together on it. Here are some more photos of the other sides of the ball, which as you can see has additional inscriptions besides Christy Mathewson's autograph. The second one is a bit harder to read, but we've determined it to be "Kenesaw M. Landis, 4/17/23." He was the commissioner of baseball at the time. The third inscription as you can see says "Braves Field April 17, 1923" (looks a bit like April 11, but I think that is a 17 to match the other date). The remaining photos show other parts of the baseball. I think this could be a good one.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on March 3, 2016 at 1:15pm

Mark,

It is a fantastic looking ball.

What do you mean by "This could be a good one?" It's probably worth $100,000+ with JSA certification (they've sold for $150,000+), so I recommend getting at least a second opinion on it, in-person, where it can be fully analyzed. Forgers are getting better by the day.

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on March 3, 2016 at 1:52pm

Landis was the commissioner that banned the 8 White sox players for life. Not a very common signature either.

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Permalink Reply by TradeGeek on March 7, 2016 at 2:29pm

I am really curious about the seller. Was it a private individual? Auction?

I am no expert on autograph authenticity. That being said, if the signatures are authentic this is a major piece. The kind of item that would headlines a major auction.

If promoted I would imagine there would be major collectors lined up around the block to take a shot at it. It covers two individuals who have their own unique place in baseball lore. The Mathewson is much more rare, as he died young in 1925. But having Mountain Landis on the ball gives it unique historical appeal. As terrier8HOF said, Landis banned Joe Jackson and the other Black Sox players in 1921, just 2 years before it was signed. With the exception of a 1919 White Sox team ball, there would be few items I could imagine from that particular era which would be more rare or desirable.

I'm shocked it wasn't promoted at a major auction.