October Legends
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/2/2013
This 10.5” x 14” silver tray was produced in commemoration of the great heavyweight fight between James J. Corbett and Robert Fitzsimmons on St. Patrick’s Day 1897. The tray’s face features detailed etchings of each boxer in full fighting pose ready to square off, surrounded by a raised ornate design around the perimeter. In each upper corner are literal “tale of the tape” statistics regarding each fighter. The fighter’s are imposed over an etched image of the Richard K. Fox Championship belt. Fox was the biggest boxing writer and promoter of his day, owned the Police Gazette (a major boxing publication) and was the first promoter to award championship belts to winning fighters. The bottom of the tray announces the fighters, the date of the fight “March 17th, 1897.” Also etched are “By Permission of Richard K. Fox” and “Carpathian Silver Tray Co. 24 Park Place, N.Y.” The reverse has “MADE IN ENGLAND” indicating the Carpathian Tray Co. was more a sales outfit in the States. The tray is tarnished in many areas, and has some large areas of rust in the two right side corners. However, the images of the two fighters’ are easily seen. A very interesting and very scarce 19th Century boxing item.