On authenticating T206 Wagners

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Posted By: davidcycleback

As there have been a variety of non-card people interested in how T206 Wagners, and T206 cards are in general, are authenticated I though I'd provide some relevant (and I hope interesting) reading.

My recommendation is to read chapters 12, 15 and 7 at the below site.

http://www.cycleback.com/baseballcards

Of special note to chapter 12, is that if isolated (not overlapping with other colors) dots are magenta (pink/purplish) that indicates the printing is modern. Magenta as a primary color for half tone printing was introduced after WWII, with the early primary color instead being red. In fact, anyone who has a computer printer that requires individual color toners knows that the toner boxes say magenta, yellow and cyan (light blue) not red, yellow and blue.

Of note to the use of longwave black light, as discussed in 7 and a later chapter, the longwave black light literally tests the atomic makeup of the material. When you shine black light on a material, you are adding energy to the atoms of the material. Along with visible light, infrared light, heat, etc, black light is a form of energy. The atoms of the material absorb the the extra energy, but can only hold it for a brief period before emitting it back. The atoms do not give off the energy in the same form received, but in form(s) unique to the atom's makeup. For example, an atom may receive the energy as black light, but give it back as a combination of heat, visible light and infrared light. You would only see the visible light, which is the fluorescence that is given off. Some atoms will give off no visible light (remains dark in a dark room), some a bright light, some a dim light. The light given off by atoms ranges in color, which means the atoms are giving off visible light at different frequencies.

In other words, while the black light is easy to use by all collectors, it is no causal test. The collector is intentionally adding a specific form of energy (black light) to a baseball card in order to see how the card's atoms convert the energy.

Lastly, as illustrated by chapter 7, while a Sports Illustrated football writer may have no idea about how to tell the difference between a reprint and real T206 Honus Wagner, an 8 year old of average intelligence who collects T206s will be able to pick out the reprint in her collection. She will see it has a different gloss or thickness or texture or feel than her other cards. Whether or not there are attempts at obfuscation, telling the difference between an original and reprinted T206 is no Magical Mystery Tour (nor a Lovely Rita Meter Maid).