Posted By:
Frank WakefieldA black light would help. I keep mentioning this, seems like few try it.
Old paper was paper. "New" paper, paper made shortly after World War II,
contains brighteners, that fluoresce when illuminated with ultra violet
light. If you hit an old M101-4 with a black light, nothing happens. If
you hit a modern reprint with a black light, it glows purple, the uv
light is reflected.
A REALLY affordable way to spot some fakes is to use a small, battery
powered, $10 to $15 black light...
If you do that, and pay attention to the ones that fluoresce and the
ones that don't, you soon be able to differentiate authentic from reprint
by a casual look.