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GOLDSMITH BASEBALL DATING GUIDE |
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P.
Goldsmith & Sons, MacGregor Goldsnith, & Macgregor,
used different Logos on their baseballs in
their history. The Logo samples pictured below are
dated to the years they appear in the Goldsmith
catalogs. By matching the samples with the logo on your
ball you could approximately date to that era.
Some variations could
narrow down the years, Information will be added to the
description soon. |
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Sample |
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Manufacturing Period
Description |
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Pre-1912
Goldsmith Baseball Logo |
The company was
known as P. Goldsmith &
Co. by 1890. In 1906
the company name was
changed to P.
Goldsmith's Sons Co.
This is the earliest
known Goldsmith logo used. It
can be approximately dated to
about 1912 and earlier.
The logo is a simple
circled cross with the
company name
"GOLDSMITH" sandwiched
between the words
"TRADE" "MARK" The Logo
as with all the years
to follow is place on the
top panel. |
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1912
- 1926 Goldsmith
Baseball Logo |
This Goldsmith Baseball
logo first shows up in
a 1906 catalog. It has
the same Trade Mark
Goldsmith logo cross
but a second circle is
added creating a border
that reads "THE
SPORTING GOODS WITH A
GUARANTEE" (separated
by a dot) There is
another variation that
reads "REGISTERED" in
place of the dot, that
most likely predates
the dot logo.
("Registered" found in
a 1915 catalog) |
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1923
- 1925
Goldsmith Baseball Logo |
This Goldsmith Logo
first appears in a 1923
catalog. A number of
changes are made from
the earlier logo. The
cross is slightly
elongates as is the "S"
in the company name
"GOLDSMITH"
which is pinched
between the words
"TRADE" & MARK" The
outer circle now reads:
"GUARANTEED ATHLETIC
GOODS" around the top,
and at the bottom
"CIN., O. U.S.A. |
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1926-1933
Goldsmith Baseball Logo |
The first appearance of
this logo has yet to be
identified in a catalog
but many of theses
baseballs start to show
up with a number of
Babe Ruth autographs
with "Babe" in
quotation marks, a
practice that Babe Ruth
stopped doing by 1928.
The logo has been
identified in a 1932
catalog. The Goldsmith
logo cross remains the
same from the era
before with "GOLDSMITH"
pinched between the
words "TRADE" & MARK"
but the outer circle
now reads "THE P.
GOLDSMITH SONS CO."
over the top, and at
the bottom "CINCINNATI,
O. U.S.A." |
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1933
- 1939 Goldsmith
Baseball Logo |
This logo has been
identified in a 1938
Goldsmith catalog and
still shows up in 1944
overlapping the
following logo. The
Trademark Goldsmith
Logo cross is removed
perhaps because of its
resemblance to the
German black cross at
the onset of WWII. The
Logo still sits at the
top panel now has a
bold "GoldSmith"
in lower case letters
using capital letters
for the "G" & "S" The
letters "old"
& "mith"
are undelined. Below
the new Goldsmith logo
reads "CINCINNATI"
above "U.S.A." (both in
uppercase) |
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1940-1944
Goldsmith Baseball Logo |
This Goldsmith logo
make it's first
appearance around 1942,
and is identified in a
catalog from the same
year. This logo
coexists with the
pervious logo. "GoldSmith"
is down sized at the
top with "MADE IN
U.S.A." just below.
There is also another
variation that has
"CINCINNATI" sandwiched
between
GoldSmith
& MADE IN U.S.A. Below
the
GoldSmith
logo the "a
Preferred
PRODUCT" slogan
logo is added. |
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NOTE: The possible
explanation of the two logos coexisting is the first logo
pictured at the top was used for baseballs that were sold in
other companies catalogs, and the second pictured at the
bottom, is exclusive to Goldsmith catalogs. |
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1945-1951 MacGregor Goldsmith
Baseball Logo |
Some time around 1944 a
merger took place and
Goldsmith added the
MacGregor name to their
products. The company
became known as "MacGregor
Goldsmith" This logo
makes it's first
appearance in 1945. The
new logo is added to
the top panel and now
reads: "MacGregor" in
script just above
"GoldSmith" also in
script. A MacGregor,
designed "M" logo is
added to the bottom
panel that features the
baseballs catalog
number within a
Goldsith "G", with
"REG. U.S. PAT. OFF."
below, and "Made in
U.S.A"at the bottom. |
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1952-1962 MacGregor Baseball Logo |
In 1952 the Goldsmith
name was dropped
entirely and the
company was simply
called MacGregor. The
first baseball logo
used at the top panel
reads "MacGregor" in
script, with the
Registered trademark
to the right of the
capital G below the
first "r" in MacGregor.
The bottom panel
features a newly
designed MacGregor "M"
logo with the "G"
removed the catalog
number for the ball is
now boxed in. |
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1963-1964 MacGregor Baseball Logo |
This variation of the
logo pictured above
(which id identified in
a 1957 catalog) was
used before 1961.
Changes are made with
the
Registered trademark
now being place just
after the company name
"MacGregor" with the
Words "MADE" below
the letters Mac, "IN"
between the two "G" 's
and "U.S.A." below
the letters "or"
The MacGregor "M"
logo with the catalog
number boxed in is
placed on the bottom
panel..
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1962-1966 MacGregor
Brunswick Baseball Logo |
By 1961 MacGregor
becomes a division of
the Brunswick
Corporation,
and the Brunswick boxed
in "B" logo is added to
the existing "MacGregor"
logo on the top panel with the Words
"MADE" below the
letters Mac, "IN"
between the two "G" 's
and "U.S.A." below
the letters "or" The
MacGregor "M" logo is
removed from the bottom
panel. This logo is
identified in a 1965
Little League Rule
Book.
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1967-
1974 MacGregor Baseball
Logo |
In 1967 the
Brunswick Corporation
buys out MacGregor. The
font for the first "G"
in MacGregor logo is
changed and this
slightly effects the
placement of "Made in
U.S.A." and the
Registered trademark
now follows. Baseballs
that use "Horse Hide
Covers" can be dated to
about 1974.
Some time after 1974 "Made in U.S.A." is removed and there are different
variations of the
same MacGregor logo
since, using different
color printing and
catalog numbers below. |
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Goldsmith History |
P. Goldsmith's Sons Co. a sporting
goods & baseball glove manufacturer, founded by Philip
Goldsmith. After a short partnership with Wolf Fletcher in
1875, making baseballs, the company was known as P. Goldsmith &
Co. by 1890. In 1906 the name was changed to P. Goldsmith's
Sons Co. Goldsmith bought out two struggling sporting goods
companies in 1936 & 1937. Draper Maynard and Crawford, McGregor
& Canby Co. which became MacGregor Golf Co. Around 1944
Goldsmith added the MacGregor name to their products and became
known as "MacGregor Goldsmith" Finally, in 1952 the Goldsmith
name was dropped entirely and the company was simply called MacGregor. |
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McGregor History |
MacGregor - Originally the Crawford, McGregor & Canby Co. and
then MacGregor Golf Co. P.Goldsmith & sons purchased the
company in 1936 in an effort to expand their product line and
market share. Around 1944 Goldsmith added the MacGregor name to
their products and became known as "MacGregor Goldsmith" an
attempt to trade on the prestigious image the MacGregor company
had earned. Finally, in 1952 the Goldsmith name was dropped
entirely and the company was simply called MacGregor. MacGregor becomes a division of
the Brunswick Corporation by 1961 and in 1967 the Brunswick
Corporation buys out MacGregor.
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Reference Catalog Ads |
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1953 MacGregor Scorebook
Baseball Ad |
1962 Babe Ruth League
Rule Book |
1963 MacGregor Brunswick
Advertisement |
1965 Little League
Rule Book |
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