Black club with no circles?
I have two date ranges for you on this one...
1891-1905 - This comes from a noted historian. The historian stated that there were no official records on the Black Club, but this information came from hand written notes from the period.
1894-1898 - This is my date range. I can honestly state that I feel this date range is closer to correct.
~The 1891 updated price list only lists the Club shotshells
~The 1892-1893 updated price lists list the New Club, Smokeless and Trap shells.
~I don't have access to the 1894 price list, but I do have a copy of an ad from the 1894 Recreation Magazine that lists the Black Club.
~The 1895 and 1896 UMC Catalogs list the Black Club.
~I don't have access to the 1897-1898 catalogs, but it is in an ad in an 1898 Forest and Stream magazine.
~It is not listed in the 1899-1910 UMC catalogs.
~I have yet to find any UMC ad for this line of shells after 1898.
I am well aware that catalogs and ads are not the most accurate way to date shells, specifically headstamp varieties, but it is compelling that this shell was only nationally advertised during the years that it was listed in the catalogs.
Doug