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Spalding Babe Ruth "Home Run Special" baseball featuring an extraordinary Babe Ruth signature on the sweet spot. Authenticated and graded EX-MT+ 6.5 by PSA/DNA (signature grade: 8; ball grade: 5). Ruth's signature has been beautifully scripted in black fountain pen on the sweet spot and remains exceptionally bold. While all grading is subjective, it appears that PSA/DNA was extremely conservative in assessing the signature, as it literally jumps off the cream-colored surface. If not for the slightest bit of fading to the line crossing the "t" in "Ruth," we would have no qualms grading this signature a perfect "10." Regardless, it is still, without question, one of the finest Ruth signatures a collector could ever hope to find on a baseball. Together with its original box, which features a portrait image of Ruth on a side panel. This ball originates from our consignor's uncle, who died in 1964. As our consignor notes in his accompanying letter of provenance, after his uncle's death his aunt kept the ball in her bank safe-deposit box, where it remained until her passing earlier this year. As such, the ball is new to the hobby and Robert Edward Auctions is proud to have been chosen by the family to present it to the collecting community for the very first time. Not much is known regarding where or how the ball was originally obtained by the uncle, but our consignor recalls that his uncle first saw Ruth and Gehrig in person when the Bustin' Babes and Larrupin' Lous barnstorming tour made a stop in the uncle's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, in 1927. While that was the first time his uncle ever saw Ruth in person, based upon the ball itself and a notation written upon it, it appears that this Ruth signed ball dates to a few years later. It has always been generally assumed that Babe Ruth Home Run Special balls were produced during the early 1930s and this example appears to confirm that long-held belief. Written on the ball label, in vintage black fountain pen, is the notation "March - 1930." The Yankees annually trained in St. Petersburg during the month of March, so it stands to reason that this ball was most likely obtained either by our consignor's uncle, or a friend of his, while attending a spring-training game. The ball displays light-to-moderate soiling, but all of the manufacturer's stampings remain perfectly legible. The Babe Ruth facsimile signature on the ball label has been lightly traced over in blue ink. The accompanying original box is in Fair condition, with detached flaps and numerous tears. Ruth single-signed baseballs dating from his active playing career have always been the ideal for collectors, especially high-grade offerings such as the offered example. This is an outstanding never-before-seen Babe Ruth single and one that would be a significant highlight in even the most advanced collection. Housed in its PSA/DNA ball cube (seals broken). Full LOA from PSA/DNA and LOA from James Spence/JSA.  Reserve $5,000. Estimate $15,000+.