40 T.C. Bat - J.F. Hillerich & Son
 

I just picked up a bat that has a label almost identical to the one below, except it's a '40 T.C.' and has 'J.F. HILLERICH & SON CO.' instead of the Co with an underlined small 'o'. Can this difference be used to further i.d. the bat's age?

Bat
 

I dont know the answer but someone here will. So good luck with your quest.

I'm sure you know it's a Ty Cobb bat...any traces of the decal on the barrel or is it completely gone?

Thanks. Yes, I bought it as a 'Ty Cobb'. There are no traces of a decal, and no stamping other than the label. It's 33 3/4" long

Here are label pics:

I think the dash dot dash era was the early teens, but someone here can tell you precisely what years that bat was made.

Dan's got it - c1911-1916.

Thanks. So what's the deal with the different 'O' at the end of 'Co'? Is it significant for dating purposes?

The label changed many times over the years. Co was added in 1911 and was usually a Co. To my knowledge, the CO was typical of the decal bats.

Thanks Mike. That makes sense, as there's no additional stamping on the barrel. I obviously don't know much about bats, but found this one at an antique store yesterday and it seemed like too good of a deal to pass up.