I would assume this is on a Lee MacPhail or older ball?? I'm not that familiar with his old style, which I assume this is or is trying to be? It has characteristics I like and some I don't. For starters, I don't like the way the first M has 2 different pen pressures. I also don't really like the shape of the M's, though it could be more like his early sig, I don't know? I don't like baselines of Mickey or Mantle (droopy c, droopy a). I especially don't like that the "i" is not dotted. All 50+ items in my collection have a dotted "i" for whatever that's worth. I don't like the "tle" and the straight plane it's on.
I do like the apparent speed it was signed with, causing the pen to skip? I do like there is a slight "heavy spot' where the first "M" starts. I do like the interaction between the "Ma".
Personally, I couldn't say one way or another as much of my research does not include older versions. I imagine some characteristics are the same, but really don't know. The Lowly Mantle Collector wouldn't buy it, but I am buying less and less these days anyway...
