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Home / Sports / 2010 November Dallas Signature Sports Collectibles Auction Auction #7028 / Lot #80883
    LOT #80883  | 
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    1874 Alexander Cartwright Handwritten & Signed Check/Promissory Note....

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    • Autographs:Checks, 1874 Alexander Cartwright Handwritten & Signed Check/Promissory Note....
    • Autographs:Checks, 1874 Alexander Cartwright Handwritten & Signed Check/Promissory Note....
    Autographs:Checks, 1874 Alexander Cartwright Handwritten & Signed Check/Promissory Note.... Autographs:Checks, 1874 Alexander Cartwright Handwritten & Signed Check/Promissory Note.... View More >
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    Description

    1874 Alexander Cartwright Handwritten & Signed Check/Promissory Note. A June 3, 1953 act of the United States Congress officially declared Alexander Joy Cartwright the inventor of the modern game of baseball, the conclusion of years of work on behalf of a small group of historians to counter Major League Baseball's assertion that it had been Abner Doubleday. Cartwright is recognized as the founder of the first baseball team, establishing the distance between bases, and designating an inning as three outs. While the true Father of Baseball might always be a point of debate, there's no disputing the scarcity and tremendous desirability of the offered lot, one of only a handful of personal checks from Cartwright known to survive to this day. It derives from his adopted home of Hawaii, where Cartwright moved in 1849 after he headed west for the California gold rush and kept right on going.

    The check is entirely handwritten with no pre-printed text, and establishes a payment of $1240 to be rendered eight months in the future with no interest due. Cartwright's signature appears on the opposing side of the 3x7.5" document, where he writes "Honolulu Sep 8 1874, Receipt AJ Cartwright for c/o Mr. Paiko, Nine hundred and thirty-four dollars as full payment & interest." Since most of the Cartwright material actively traded and attributed to him are, in fact, letter-press copies, true handwritten documents as this are incredibly scarce and desirable, and seldom offered. This is a rare opportunity to bring an essential, seminal autograph into your baseball collection. Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.

    Auction Info

    Auction Dates
    November, 2010
    4th-5th Thursday-Friday
    Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 3
    Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
    Page Views: 1,571

    Buyer's Premium per Lot:
    19.5% of the successful bid (minimum $14) per lot.

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