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Lot # 1001 (of 1641)   < Previous Lot | Next Lot >

1916 Boston Red Sox Pennant - Newly Discovered Example!

Starting Bid - $1,000, Sold For - $6,518

Exceedingly rare, new-to-the-hobby Boston Red Sox felt pennant dating from the club's 1916 World Championship season. This is a key rarity among Red Sox pennants and the first 1916 example we can ever recall seeing. Incredibly, this pennant has been consigned by a noncollector who purchased it over twenty-five years ago at a local estate sale. After enjoying for many years (it was displayed in her home since the time she purchased it) she finally decided to part with it by offering it for sale on EBay. As one can imagine, she was a bit taken back by the overwhelming interest and communications it generated, with buyers trying to end the auction early. Luckily, she was also wise enough to understand what the ensuing deluge of private offers meant, that this was a special item, and she quickly ended the sale to conduct more research. Eventually, she contacted Robert Edward Auctions and decided she would be best served by placing it in this auction so that it could be properly presented to the collecting community at large.

The red-and-white felt pennant (29 inches long) features a generic Red Sox batter on the left, with the surrounding white lettering reading "American League Champions 1916." The team name "Red Sox," lettered in Old English, is displayed to the right in red. It is interesting to note that the design of this pennant is nearly identical to that of the 1915 championship pennant, with the only differences being the year and a display of two intertwined pairs of "red sox" on either side of the team name. The fact that the pennant refers to the club as American League Champions and not World Champions strongly suggests that this pennant was specially produced for sale at the 1916 World Series. While all Boston Red Sox pennants dating from club's 1912-1918 dynasty are extremely rare, the 1916 might be the most elusive of all, with representations absent from even the standard reference guides. This is the first example of this spectacular pennant we have handled or seen and it will likely be quite a while before we see another. The pennant displays wear commensurate with its age and former use, including light fading to the material, minor crazing, with a few tiny chips to the both the painted figure and lettering, a few tiny, light stains, tack holes in each corner, and a small tear at the tip. In Very Good to Excellent condition overall. Reserve $1,000. Estimate (open). SOLD FOR $6,518

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