LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2006 October Signature Sports Auction #705  / 

19224

Early 19th Century Tom Molyneux Ceramic Figurine

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
Early 19th Century Tom Molyneux Ceramic Figurine
<B>Early 19th Century Tom Molyneux Ceramic Figurine.</B></I> Exceptional artifact located by a collector in the British Isles may well be the earliest production piece of sports memorabilia in existence. It pictures International Boxing Hall of Famer Tom Molyneux, a Virginia slave who was reportedly given his freedom after winning a match on which his owner, Algernon Molyneux, had placed a large bet. In 1809, Molyneux sailed for England, and a year later faced British Champion Tom Cribb in a battle for the crown, a full century before Jack Johnson would become the first African-American to take the title. Though Molyneux would ultimately be knocked unconscious by Cribb in the thirty-third round, he became an instant celebrity in Great Britain, spawning the fabulous relic we present here. Our resident experts confirm that this eight-inch tall figurine dates to the era of Molyneux' fame, though they do make note of later touch-ups that have resulted in an incredible NRMT appearance, without so much as a chip or crack to be found. Though his name is misspelled "Tom Molyeux" on the base, there is no question that the dark skinned gentleman in a fighting stance could only be the freed slave. Short of the occasional publication that mentions his name, this is almost surely the only contemporary artifact related to the life of Tom Molyneux on the face of the earth. We certainly have never seen another. As such, this should be seen as a legitimately once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take your fine pugilism collection to a place where none other could follow.
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