It was good that Leon ressurected the old topic on this. I don't think they are "officially" proofs, but tend to agree given the size & similarities to Colgan's that they were offered up in a different product. What that was, and when it was distributed are valid and unanswered questions, and may never be unless some big discovery is made. That being said, whether it's a Colgan or not isn't too high on my radar. It's a period card that I didn't have a type of in my set, and now I do so I am happy! Let's hope some light is finally shed in the future and that it turns out that the Criss is the new holy-grail of card collecting!
Bill