Due to their smooth surface, the earliest gutty balls had difficulties flying. Golfers figured out that a cut-up ball flew better than a smooth ball, so ballmakers began to mark up the surface of the gutta percha balls they produced.

In the December 27, 1907 issue of Golf Illustrated, Robert Forgan is credited with being the individual who (by some point in the 1860s) was the first to form a regular pattern on hand-hammered balls, "and the same pattern has now continued ever since (13)."

This c.1865 ball offered here bears Forgan's hammering pattern. It remains in excellent condition, the hammering pattern still clear and present throughout the entire ball. The ball bears strike marks, as shown in the images, but still looks great, the original paint remaining in relatively bright condition. Upon close examination, it is easy to see that this ball is not perfectly round, which is sometimes the case with balls made by hand 150+/- years ago. Overall, this ball is a wonderful game-used piece of history!  It would be a fine addition to any ball collection