A smorgasbord of fakes.........

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Cmount76

No, I read and understood your point.

I guess my question is - Is there a source that can inform me on those points (and others) or is it just loads of practice looking at EPDG's? Do they all have uniform back coloration? What font am I looking for? Do they always have a factory?

As I said, I want to begin this set, but want to know as much as I can before I begin, so I don't purchase cards like those, or similar ones.

Maybe this will help:

1- When I first saw the Donlin, my initial thought was that this card looked too good to be true. The corners were nearly perfect, and on a 100 year old card that is extremely unlikely. Not impossible, but I thought that the card was likely a fake.
2- Then I notice that the white borders are too large. On a real T206 they would be smaller. If you can't tell the difference yet, I suggest you buy some raw cards from our BST board and use them for comparison.
3- When I look closer I see that the name is printed in the wrong font and color. This is a dead giveaway. The font on the fakes is taller and thinner than on a real T206. Again, get some real cards for comparison. Also, the fakes are printed in Black ink. T206s were printed in Brown ink.
4- I look at the back, and I notice that there are no Factory, District and State numbers on the bottom, meaning that this is a real cheap-ass reprint. All T206 backs were printed with these numbers. If a card has these numbers it could still be a fake, but if they are missing, there is no doubt that it's a reprint. To see examples of how they should look, go to T206resource.com and check the back gallery.
5- Looking at some of the other cards, I notice that the EPDG backs are printed in blue or dark green. Real EPDG backs are always printed in red ink. These cards are so bad that it's laughable. Check the T206resource.com site. It will show the correct color for each back.

So to make a long story short (if that's possible at this point):use the above website, get a couple real cards, and if you still aren't sure, ask the Board. Feel free to PM me if you have a specific question or card you wish to ask about. I'm always happy to help, and so are most of the Net54 Board members.