Early baseballs from the mid-19th Century featured a hard substance covered in hand-wound yarn or string. There was usually a one-piece cover, usually some form of brown leather stitched in a fashion known as "lemon peel." Here's a vintage example of such a full-sized ball, though this one is gray in color and not the typical dark brown usually found in New England. There are initials bearing a name similar to R F Clag. The ball boasts a very nice patina. There are small holes near the seams, but this is a terrific display-quality piece.