Dating a lemon peel ball really depends on who made it and why it was made. Organized base ball stopped using that style of ball in the late 1860's when organized leagues established somewhat consistent standards for balls, eventually adopting the figure eight style pattern. In the early years, those base balls started out small like yours, but they were made to a higher standard. At the end of their run the size topped out slightly bigger than a modern ball. Since yours looks home made, it was probably made by one of the members of the team who used it. They would most likely have been a group of neighborhood boys as opposed to a town team. Because it was homemade, the date could range anywhere from the 1850's into the 1880's. It's hard to say for sure. Fantastic example. I'd put a guestimate value in the $400-800 range. Possibly more. They seem to be all over the place in terms of final values. Though, because of the condition, I'd say you are looking at the higher end of the value spectrum for your ball.
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