Real or Fake?

[rhettyeakley]

A back scan would have been nice as that will tell you more than just an image of the front. Cigar bands often survive in almost pristine condition so that doesn't throw up a major red flag to me. Cigar bands were made on extremely thin paper and were made "embossed" which would be very hard to replicate (although not entirely impossible). Thus, a back scan showing the embossing would indicate that the item was/is in fact real. On the flip side if the item is completely "flat" then it is probably fake.

[deadballpaul]

I dont know much about this issue, but my gut says run away. Always trust your gut if you've been staring at pre war stuff for many years......

[Matthew H]

The bottom edge appears poorly hand cut.

[steve B]

I'm not entirely sure it's vintage, but aside from that I like it. Was there a set of these made sometime more recently?
To me it does appear to be embossed. It could be just in the printing, but looks fairly dimensional.
The border also looks like actual metallic ink, again, not impossible to fake, but also not something you can do on a typical laser printer.

Steve B

[drc]

They are usually embossed, which you can probably see on a back scan or sharp angled scan. I would assume to all fakes don't have the embossment.

[fkw]

I say authentic and a great deal

In older auction catalogs Ive seen uncut sheets of these exact labels, but I cant locate the auction with the sheet yet...
(I have over 100 large auction catalogs going back 25 years)

They are embossed and the photos I have match this eBay example in every way. Embossed with dots around the portrait and the gold parts (diamonds etc.) of the red/gold design are embossed and also around the white area is embossed with a doted design.

found 2 in older auctions...

1991 Copeland Auction, they have one pictured (low grade, missing tip) with an estimate of $3K and it received a $1500 bid but didnt pass reserve.

1991 Wolffers Auctions had one in MINT condition with a $3K est. but I have no record of the price realized.

[Matthew H]

The Border of the label gives it away in my opinion. looks hand cut, look at the shape of the border in this example, the shape doesn't match:

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/...n/2005/70.html