This is a used original Model A Ford hard rubber battery case made by the Richardson Company.
Top view of cell compartments.
Marked The Richardson Company, Made in USA.
This particular case has an April 1931 (4-31) date code on the bottom.
Patented Oct 12, 1915; Sept 18, 1917; Oct 13, 1925; and Oct 15, 1929.
This battery case has an April 1931 date code and is a Model A style, not Model B style, but does not have the blind hole or witness mold marks at the top ends of the case, as indicated in the current Judging Standards page 2-4.
The Judging Standards are in error to say that all batteries had the vestige of the blind hole. That statement only applies to the old molds which were modified by engineering Change. In fact, all new molds made after the design elimination of the hole would not produce any parts having a witness mark or evidence of a prior hole in the molds.
This battery case is an example of a part produced from a mold which was made after the blind hole was eliminated from the case design.
Also there were numerous molds required to support Model A production, not just a single one, and there were multiple suppliers of batteries to Ford. Only the early molds which were revised to remove the hole would have the vestige or witness mark.