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Posted By: davidcycleback

The original T205 borders were gilded with a coating of tiny gold colored flecks. The printers
put glue on the borders then powdered them in gold flakes, the flakes sticking only to the
glued areas. The metal is now well tarnished not unlike an old penny. If you turn the cards at an
angle to a light, you can see how the roughish metal shines compared to the rest of the cards.
As the metal coating is made up of lots of tiny flakes of metal, instead of being painted or
stamped on, it is roughish and not super smooth. Reprints will either have no
metal or, I suspect, a metal that is much smoother, shinier, bright and untarnished.

I would think that if the cards have tarnished metal borders, that's about a good a sign as any.