A piece of pantheon importance with direct lineage to the original manufacturer of the National Baseball Hall of Fame plaques. This is the only additional casting of the Hall of Fame plaque of one of the most legendary athletes in history, "The Iron Horse," Henry Louis Gehrig. Bronze sculptor George Seaman of Steinmeier Bronze Tablet Company, was contracted by the National Baseball Hall of Fame to design and produce the plaques for the opening of the Cooperstown museum in 1939. This was the 100th Anniversary of the game and the pomp and pageantry of the event was unlike any other before or since. And this was for the inimitable Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, on the heels of his emotive retirement from the game after the end of his seemingly insurmountable consecutive game streak in 1939. The plaques were created in bronze to celebrate his life and illustrious career, and executed in accordance with the specifications of the Hall of Fame. In fact, George Seaman produced a second bronze plaque at the same time using the exact same figural image in bronze as the casting of the Cooperstown plaque. As stated in the letter of provenance from George Seaman’s son that accompanies the lot, the sculptural work was a contemporaneous casting from the same mold as the one affixed to Gehrig’s plaque at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. The letter states, "January 6, 2016...To Whom This May Concern: My Name is G. Calvin Seaman. I am 90 years old and a 51-year resident of River Vale, N.J. My father’s name was George Seaman. He was a Bronze Artisan who worked for Steinmeier Bronze Tablet Company of New York City, NY. I hereby certify as to the accuracy of the following facts pertaining to The Bronze Plaque of former Yankee star Lou Gehrig who died in June 1939. 1) The Plaque of Lou Gehrig is the EXACT DUPLICATE of the one displayed in The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY. Shortly after his death in June 1939, he was immediately voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 2) My Father George Seaman, made two exact same plaques while working at Steinmeier Bronze. (Steinmeier Bronze had received the contract to create the plaque affording to the Hall of Fame specifications.) 3) My Father made the plaques. He made one for the Hall of Fame, and one for me, knowing that Lou Gehrig was my hero. 4) I have owned, and kept in my possession the plaque that my Father gave me years ago. There are only two. One in the Hall of Fame, and one now being auctioned. Signed: G. Calvin Seaman" This bas-relief bronze plaque is mounted on its original wood base. The bronze sculptural depiction is of a smiling Gehrig in a tableau, amidst bronze embellishments adorned by two baseball bats and a laurel branch. This awe-inspiring piece measures 7x12" and is the exact same size and design as the one in the National BBHOF in Cooperstown (shown here). NRMT. This is not unlike the situation years ago of special "error" U.S. coins being struck for people working at the various United States Mints. Some of these incredibly rare coins sell for in the millions of dollars. Only time will tell with this equally rare, incredibly stunning, and historically important one-of-a-kind sports treasure.