Card doctoring debacle

[drcy]

Originally Posted by Mark

Fair enough, but how do know, for sure and for certain, that the provenance is legit?

Documentation of provenance isn't fool proof, and can be forged and faked (Everyone knows many fakes and reprint on eBay come fish stories), and is used in conjunction with, or as supporting evidence of, the physical examination. Good provenance and physical examination support each other.

Sometimes provenance shows that an item has been around for a long time, which is in and of itself helpful information. Obviously, at the least rules it out as a recent creation.