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runscottI guess the description says it all: "It is almost inconceivable that this case, with all of the balls still beautifully preserved in their near pristine state, has remained hidden from the public's eye for all these many years."
It is interesting that people will pay so much for items that have little or no provenance. It seems like owning these types of things is more of a status symbol and it's more important that everyone THINK you own something unique and original, than it is for you to know with certainly that the item is legit.
Also, what if someone created this sometime later in the 19th century, to commemorate the outstanding performance of the 1869 Red Stockings? This seems like a perfect way to do so - find a bunch of balls, paint them, write the scores of the games on them, create a trophy case. Wallah! Actually, I might try this myself. Point being - where is the provenance?