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Posted By: davidcycleback

A moire pattern, not unlike on the Ryan reprint, happens when you scan a card that has a halftone dot pattern. The original Allen & Ginters weren't halftone prints, so only a reprint will have a moire pattern when scanned.

Some cards in online auctions are identified as reprints, as the originals couldn't have moire patterns. This includes real photo cards, like the Old Judges, Fatimas, T5, etc, and most 1800s cards. The original T206 portraits can have a bit of a moire in a scan as they used some halftone printing. Genuine modern cards, like Topps and Bowmans, can have moire patterns when scanned.

So if you see an eBay auction of an Old Judge or a T200 Fatima with a moire pattern, the card is a reprint.