Question about footballs??

[SkubeBats]

Hello,
I have the following 2 footballs but don't know much about them. I was wondering how old they are and if their game used balls. Also what is the value on these balls? Any information would be great.

[BrianK]

Bottom one is from 1975. Quite possibly game used.
Others here can probably help you more with the top one than I can.

[RaiderNationPDX]

If I'm reading the code correctly as BT on the Tagliabue football, it was manufactured in June of 1999; unless you have some other provenance, it's really hard to pin this style of ball down as game used versus retail. Concur on the Rozelle ball being a 1975 gamer; the double-year code (HH, in this case) indicates a ball produced for the NFL.

[RaiderNationPDX]

As to the question of value, you'd be hard-pressed to sell the first one for over forty bucks on eBay (again, provided there's no other provenance), but the '71-'75 Rozelle ball in that shape would likely sell for between $125-$175. Just an opinion based on a lot of observation; others feel free to weigh in.

[SkubeBats]

What are the codes=years?

Also please post some pictures of your vintage game used footballs.

[RaiderNationPDX]

The codes are formatted so the first letter (A-K) indicates the year, with a year ending in 8 being A and one ending in 7 being K. The second letter (O-Z) indicates the month, with O being January and Z being December. Based on the ball style (with the exception of a slight overlap on the 76-89 Pete Rozelle balls), these codes should narrow down an exact year of manufacture.

There are a couple anomalies in the coding, including the aforementioned double-year codes on balls produced for the NFL from 1968 to the mid-seventies (can't tell you the exact year they stopped doing this). Another is the eleven letters for a ten year cycle; while Wilson formerly used the letter "I" in their coding, I don't believe they still do.

Some of my pre-Tagliabue game/practice used footballs are pictured below; the pics don't do the oldest two justice. They're relatively freshly conditioned, so the glare is atrocious in photos.

http://www.alex-d-burson.com/Football7689Front.jpghttp://www.alex-d-burson.com/Football7689Back.jpg
August 1984-manufactured practice ball (code GV)
http://www.alex-d-burson.com/Football7175Front.jpghttp://www.alex-d-burson.com/Football7175Back.jpg
1974 game ball (code GG)
http://www.alex-d-burson.com/Football6067Front.jpghttp://www.alex-d-burson.com/Football6067Back.jpg
Circa 1960-67 Duke football (pre-date coding)

[TheDuke81]

Hey Guys. Can someone help me at the production date of the respective balls? Greetings from Berlin-Germany.

1st Ball: O RF | Paul Tagliabue
85130 85131

2nd Ball: DT | Paul Tagliabue
85132 85133

3rd Ball: JO | Paul Tagliabue
85135 85134

Thanks in advance!!!

[RaiderNationPDX]

Date code doesn't track with Wilson's normal sequence, but as a Tagliabue New Duke, it could only be from 2006.

Second ball should be 1991 (based on sewn valve), June

Third ball should be 1996, January

Last digit of year is encoded as follows:
A8
B9
C0
D1
E2
F3
G4
H5
J6
K7

Month follows the same sequence, O (Jan) to Z (Dec)

[RaiderNationPDX]

Actually, are you sure the pics of the second and third balls aren't reversed? The Tagliabue balls with all-black stamping were phased out in the 1991 season, so there's no way that bottom one could be from '96.

Herzlich Willkommen aus Amerika!

[TheDuke81]

Actually, are you sure the pics of the second and third balls aren't reversed? The Tagliabue balls with all-black stamping were phased out in the 1991 season, so there's no way that bottom one could be from '96.

Herzlich Willkommen aus Amerika!

Thank U.

My mistake, the 1st Ball was a JO | Paul Tagliabue and the 3rd
an O RF | Paul Tagliabue


I confused the two (I bury my head in shame)

[RaiderNationPDX]

No worries; I've definitely switched URLs on photos before :)

Top one would definitely be from 2006 season, based on that date code. The new Dukes were introduced in 2006 season, and Tagliabue stepped down as commissioner before '06 regular season, so these balls were only deployed in preseason (Goodell's signature was on 06 regular season balls)

Middle one would be 1991; while the Tagliabue balls with gold Wilson logo were used in 1991 and 2001, Wilson had ceased the use of sewn-in inflation valves by 01.

Third one's a bit of a mystery to me - the three letter date code wasn't standard on Wilson footballs, though I've seen them before. That style (all-black stamping, no gold foil) was used immediately after Tagliabue took over as commissioner in 1990, but was replaced by the foil-stamped version in 1991 (may have even been late 1990, can't remember exactly). This ball may have been a prototype, special production, something like that.

Hope this helps!