Antique 1875 Sterling Silver 19th Century Baseball Ball Trophy

This auction is for a extremely rare sterling silver engraved baseball trophy from 1875. This ball is inscribed "To The Champion Baseball Club Of Franklin Co. N.Y. Awarded To The Athletics Of Brushs Mills Aug. 6th, 1875. O'Connell Centenary "Prize" The Gift Of Rev. Father Ryan Brushs Mills." The ball measures approximately 2.75" inches in diameter and is in very good condition with minor scuffing and a few spots of tarnish. There is a small ding on each side, but not where there is any engraving. There are very few of these silver ball trophies still in existence so don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime. The auction has a very reasonable opening bid and no reserve price!

Some biographical information from several great websites inclyding irelandseyes and victoriansweb:

Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847) was a great Irish statesman, called the Liberator of Ireland. He led a movement that successfully forced the British to pass the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, allowing Roman Catholics to become members of the British House of Commons. O'Connell was born in Ireland on August 6th, 1775, a date now celebrated by Catholics and Irish communities all over the globe. A constitutionalist in politics, O'Connell opposed the violence of the 1798 and 1803 risings, and in 1815 was distressed when he killed an opponent who had forced him into a duel. In 1823, he formed the Catholic Association; membership eventually cost a 'Catholic rent' of a penny a month. His objective was Catholic emancipation, opening up state and judicial posts and the right to sit in parliament. A powerful nationwide organisation quickly emerged, with the help of clergy, and in 1824 the government unsuccessfully prosecuted O'Connell for inciting rebellion. In the 1830s, O'Connell became a major figure in the House of Commons. He was active in the campaigns for prison and law reform, free trade, the abolition of slavery and Jewish emancipation. He was also a prominent figure in the campaign for universal suffrage. In 1841 O'Connell became the first Catholic Lord Mayor of Dublin. O'Connel died while in Genoa on 15th May, 1847. As requested, O'Connell's heart was buried in Rome and his body in Dublin.