Posted By:
Kevin SaucierYikes...if you look closely at that ebay card you can see the entire faded "S" is still there.
Very very tough to perfectly remove a letter or partial letter without leaving some type of sign behind. It is usually areas where the ink was removed but the paper stays slightly raised, an indentation, tiny paper loss, sections of disrupted fibers or (as in this case) faint ink pigments.
Typically this type of alteration, when a good job is attempted, takes several days and as much as a dozen steps. Even then, it can potentially be detected (although difficult) if you know exactly what to look for and spend some time with it.
Kevin
------------------------------
www.AlteredCards.com - in-depth education on advanced card doctoring techniques & detection with detailed examples