reproduction pinbacks

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Posted By: Paul Muchinsky

Knowing nothing about autographs, I was fascinated with how knowledgeable hobbyists can spot fake autographs by such subleties as the shape of a certain portion of a certain letter in an autograph. There is no substitute for wisdom born of experience. I regret to note the quality of reproductions in pinbacks is increasing. Advances in computer-aided imagery are removing the tell-tale signs of a repro (crispness of image, shadowing, etc.). The key to detection has shifted more to the remaining components of the pinback: the celluloid, the collett, and the backplate. I believe due to very low demand, there are still very few repro pinbacks in existence. However, my fear is the forgers will know their weaknesses, and will "work backwards". If they took an original pinback of the proper diameter, gently decomposed the parts of the pinback, they could with the proper equipment create a pinback with a near flawless image, all the while using vintage parts (from some other pinback). The two toughest steps would be to "un-press" the components of a pinback without damaging them, and pealing the celluloid for re-use over a different image. The FBI is encountering an analogous problem with counterfeited high-denomination US currency by foreign governments (most notably North Korea). The counterfeiters have solved the problem of getting the "real paper" by chemically washing lower-denomination bills. Thus we are seeing new US currency with more distinctive markings. My best guess as to the pinbacks most likely to be reproduced in such a fashion are not the old classics from the early 1900s, but the highly desirable pinbacks associated with the 1961 Yankees. Their diameters were very common and traditional for the era, and thus there would be an ample supply of ancillary components. Justice would be a counterfeit pinback paid for in cash at a show with counterfeit $100s.