Hi All,
Great info coming out, but I still am curious about the date/ date range.
First off, the game is not magnetized, at least not strongly so.
While Joe is right on (as usual) about the logistics/commerce of aluminum in the 1860s and 1870s for sure, it seems like LOTS of aluminum was commercially available by the mid to late 1880s. By the 1890s, aluminum was being widely used for a multitude of products. But maybe its made of another metal...
It appears that tin was being used in toy production by the time of the 1880s because its light weight, sturdy, and inexpensive. Could this toy/game be tin? If so, it could certainly date to the 1870s/ 1880s.
Additionally, I've found that the oxidation on aluminum is dark or black in color while oxidized tin is green in color...just like on the game piece.
All that aside, I just can't help but to think that if game mfg's were making a baseball game in the 20th century, they would depict a contemporary field...the pitching square/rectangle and position of the umpire divot just seem so 19th century. To support this, the 1907 patent that Joe posted a picture of does not reflect such a pitching square (in addition, the outfielders are positioned differently, and I don't see the umpire spot).
I'm still all open to any info as researching this stuff really is what makes it fun. Thanks to all of you for your input.
JP
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