Beautiful stock certificate and receipt issued in 1879 and signed by Boston Base Ball Association president Arthur Soden the man credited with inventing baseball"s much heralded (and derided) reserve clause.The Boston Red Caps (which later became the Boston Beaneaters) finished second to the Providence Grays in the 1879 National League with a 54-30 record. Managed by Hall of Famer Harry Wright it was the Red Caps of 1876 that played in the first game in the history of the National League beating the Athletics 6-5 on April 22. The team went on to win eight pennants in the 19th Century before losing many players to the Boston Red Sox of 1901. Eventually the Beaneaters became the Braves.The president and owner of the Red Caps was Arthur Soden. Soden a Civil War veteran and the president of the National League in 1882. By bankrolling several NL teams during its war with the Players League in 1890 Soden became a majority owner of the New York Giants as well. This stock certificate and receipt which transfer a single share of ownership was issued to Chas. W. Slade (and willed to Austin A. Martin in 1881). Both are in excellent condition with some minor wrinkling and some wear/toning on the top and bottom edges. Both have holes consistent with being bound together by a straight pin which were used to attach the certificates to their receipts. Both feature beautiful ornate handwritten lettering and multiple signatories.The hobby has seen just a handful of similar certificates change hands at auction in recent years. All have been marred by tears as well as significant toning and staining. None have been in such stunning condition as this one. A strong example of the dawn of Boston baseball and National League history.