Kimball N184 blank back, rubbed or fake?
 

Well, I don't like the looks of this N184 John Sullivan and I haven't seen any with a blank back. I believe I saw a mention of a Kimball card with "no legend" but wasn't sure if this was referring to a blank back.

There doesn't appear to be any paper loss on the back but anything is possible with almost 130 years gone by. Thoughts on this being legit or fake?

Sullivan
 

Cut from a kimballs album?

That is my sense. The album cuts had borders around them like this one does. I'm pretty sure it is from the album.

well
 

I own the card and the album. Without the "card" in hand I can't render a definitive answer however my hackles are up suggested by what appears to be a "gloss". I think likely it's a reproduction distressed to look real. Just my nickel.

no guarantees whether written or implied

btw
 

I'm up to a 99% chance it's fake after inspecting my album. I DO love the pinhole just above the eye. Nice touch.

it's glued to something else

thought that at first
 

but then I went the other way. Would be easy if I had it in hand. If it's skinned and glued to something else then I suppose it could be the card. Appears too thin to be an album cut on top of something else. If trimmed correctly and without taking measurements (likely the same stone was applied) the album image and card are identical with regard to the overall image. The surfaces are different as is the stock.......

Interesting thoughts. Seems a little odd to fake something like this, though, right?

I know the albums are rarer than the N28s, but at the end of the day, if it seems like something not worth the hassle. If it's a fake album cut, we're talking what, like $25? A little more for a poorly trimmed card glued to something?

I don't question the people that have the actual album - they would know far more than me about them. But why would someone go out of their way to fake this specific card?

I also find it hard to believe that this is the actual card. I have a few of these (admittedly, none in front of me) and while there is a border line around the picture, there shouldn't be a second around the card itself. I know, that they are portrayed that way in the album.

it's not that they went out of their way
 

likely some sort of reprint sheet it was cut from. It still could be a skinned card glued onto something like ledger paper - have experienced that a few times before - ledgers were a great place to glue in cards and such. Sullivan is a secondary prize in the set so there I guess maybe there's incentive. Worth about $10 if a real card to a blind man - nuttin if it's anything else......

From the scan above it looks like real 1880s lithography to me. It could be skinned or an ad cut out.....but I don't see a telltale sign of it not being real.