Hello again, Alobar.
I'm not certain that Aramith were the manufacturers of my missing ball by any means, sir. I must confess that such an assumption was based on:
1. My own expertise on pool balls of that era, their lustre, number fonts, colours etc.
2. Second hand information from another collector.
Both the above are far from infallible, dear chap, and I am certainly indebted to you (and your contact) for putting me straight. If not Aramith, my next best guesses would be Raschig (subsequently taken over by Aramith) or Hyatt (ceased trading in the late 1970s). The other manufacturers of the time were unable to match this quality.
I won't be offended if you say no, sir, but are the contact details of your buddy at Aramith something you would be prepared to share with me privately? I ask because I am currently working on a custom ball set project with a business partner and we'll soon be tendering the work out for pricing. We've budgeted circa $20,000 for 200 sets so it will be a decent order.
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to try and help out, it's very much appreciated indeed.
Best wishes.