Original or copy: reading paper and metal

Guides · 4 September 2026

A copy is betrayed by its manufacture, not by its image. On paper it shows in the printing: an old impression has grain and line, a modern reproduction has an even grid of identical dots. On metal it shows in relief and coating: an original has sharp edges and real enamel, a copy has soft, melted-looking relief and paint under lacquer. Both are visible under an ordinary magnifier.

Paper: five signs

1. Printing structure. Under a magnifier an old impression shows lithographic grain or the crisp line of letterpress. An even grid of identical dots means modern offset or inkjet – a reproduction.
2. Paper body and colour. Old paper lives: it yellows unevenly, darkens at the edges and shows texture against the light. A flat white sheet with a smooth surface gives away recent manufacture.
3. The back. An original carries an imprint: publisher, print run, price, order number. A copy usually has a blank back or repeats the front.
4. Edges. Originals were cut by knife or machine and the edge is firm. Copies often show a white margin, or artwork running pixel-sharp to the very edge.
5. Size. Reproductions are nearly always a few millimetres off the original format: they are printed to fit a sheet, not to match the original.

Metal: five signs

1. Relief. A struck original has sharp facets and clean letters. A cast copy has soft relief, rounded corners and blurred small detail.
2. Coating. Real hot enamel sits in the recesses with a glassy shine and a clear boundary against the metal. Paint under lacquer looks flat and creeps over the rim.
3. Back and fastening. Screw, clutch or pin – on an original the fastening is welded or soldered neatly. On a copy it is often glued, and the maker's mark is missing.
4. Weight and sound. Original brass or tombac is heavier than light alloy; a copy sounds duller when tapped.
5. Traces of time. On a genuine piece wear makes sense: rubbing on raised parts, patina in the recesses. Even ageing across the whole surface means artificial ageing.

The main move: put a reference beside it

No single sign works alone – comparison does. So the first step is always the same: find an image of the same object in an open catalogue and place it side by side. Size, proportions, the typeface of the lettering and small details of the artwork must match, not the general impression. A difference in one typeface or in the thickness of a frame is already enough to doubt.

References by section: stamps, badges, coins and banknotes, posters.

When a copy is fine

A copy is not always a deception. Museum and publisher reproductions were issued openly and marked on the back; later reprints of posters and postcards are objects in their own right with their own dates. The problem starts where a copy is passed off as an original. In your own collection the answer is simple: label it – what it is, when it was made and where it came from.

What not to do

• Never test an item with solvent, acetone or flame – that destroys original and copy alike.
• Never scour metal to make things visible: removing patina removes the main sign of age.
• Never wet paper to check it against the light – simply hold it up to the light.
• Never judge from a single listing photo: it shows neither printing structure nor relief.