Identifying porcelain is more than just “reading” a mark. It involves careful consideration of many elements to confirm correct age and authenticity.

There are thousands of Porcelain marks and even experienced collectors and antiques dealers can have difficulty in determining whether an item is new, and avoid costly mistakes.

There has been a huge influx of porcelain items recently – mostly figurines and other decorative porcelain objects. Many are high quality and may be better for decorative purposes, but they are not antique. The vast majority of these products come from China, or Asia generally. Some have stickers or labels and many are marked with what appear to be older European or American marks and do not carry a country of origin mark. However, many of the new marks are so similar to authentic antique marks that distinguishing them requires a more detailed look.

Luckily, there are some additional ways to recognize most forged or imitation porcelain marks. Here are some tips:

• Examine the mark around the edges using a magnifying lens. If the mark appears too perfect and applied using an industrial machine, then the mark probably is recent. Most items made prior to 1950 had their marks applied by hand, so these stamps would wear out over time, or the firmness with which they were applied varied from worker to worker. Older porcelain marks are not as clear or sharp at the edges.

• Recent porcelain marks are close imitations of older authentic marks used by Meissen, Sevres, Chantilly, English Staffordshire Potteries (usually Coats of Arms or Crests), Gardner, etc… They almost always differ in one or two minor details from the old marks, such as the endings do not curl the same or have symbols that are obscure or out of scale. Although some older authentic antique marks were applied in free-hand style using an artist’s thin brush, the difference is still apparent once you have seen several examples of the original mark.

• Modern imitation porcelain marks often intentionally misspell words, such as “SEVRE” instead of “SEVRES” or “STAFORDSHIRE” instead of “STAFFORDHIRE.” Compare the name you read with the authentic one by running a quick search on Google or eBay.

• Typically, newer porcelain marks are larger than the originals. Older porcelain marks rarely exceed 1 – 1.5 inches.

• Because “china” also refers to dinnerware (as in “chinaware”), many newer porcelain marks include the word CHINA in the mark. For example, “IRONSTONE CHINA” helps to comply with the country of origin laws but also confuses a collector in thinking that this is part of the original company name. Many marks of older potteries included the word CHINA as part of their trademark.

• The universal symbol for “copyright” usually is the letter C enclosed in a circle. This did not exist before the 20th century. If a mark looks similar to an older or antique porcelain mark and also has this copyright symbol, it is a new imitation mark.

• Although there were a handful of companies that used the words VICTORIA” or “VICTORIAN” within their logo or as a name of a pattern, the words often are used in newer, imitation porcelain marks.

• Items made for export to the U.S. after 1891 must declare the country of origin. Older items usually include the country of origin as part of their overall trademark, or the name of the country – “Germany” or “England”, “France” etc.. – appears near the actual maker’s porcelain mark. Many recent Asian imports bypass this legal requirement by using a sticker or label, which is often removed or lost.

• Most antique porcelain shows tiny cracks in the glaze called “crazing,” especially on Earthenware or old glazed Chinaware that has been used extensively. New pieces exhibit similar crazing, but the lines appear very bright and white, indicating artificial stress during firing to create this effect.

Other reliable signs of age include:

1. Older molds tend to be “tighter” with almost no seams,
2. The “blow hole,” or the tiny opening that allows air to escape from within a piece while in the kiln usually is rough and hand-pierced on antique pieces.
3. The base or foot rim of older pieces show wear and tear, feel somewhat rough to the touch or are slightly discolored.
4. Older pieces used softer, gentler colors and are not too bright. Newer pieces tend to be very “intense.”
5. The “whiteness” of older porcelain is even and bright. Recent pieces tend to appear slightly gray or bluish.

Alex and Elizabeth are WorthPoint Worthologists.

PCGS will display the dies and numerous counterfeit Chinese coins at the Long Beach, Calif., Coin, Stamp and Collectibles Expo Sept 18-20 as part of its consumer protection measure. The dies and coins were purchased through an online auction from a seller based in China. The dies are reasonably well made but the counterfeit coins would be detected quickly as fakes by specialists in Chinese coinage.

These coins are a trap for tourists who see them as a real bargain and buy them.

PCGS wanted to remove the dies and coins from the market to protect unsuspecting or unwary collectors. Unfortunately, it is suspected there are many more counterfeit coin dies out there.

Currently it is a pretty big problem in China, with plenty of poor quality counterfeits to fool tourists. However there are some good counterfeits coming out of China, and that can be dangerous.

The counterfeit dies and coins will be displayed at the PCGS booth #807, during the September expo. For more information you can call (800) 447-8848, e-mail CustomerService [at] collectors [dot] com or visit www.PCGS.com.

Con artists have taken advantage of the burgeoning market of online shoppers. They use the impersonal aspect of Internet shopping to fool uneducated buyers into believing they are purchasing authentic autographed memorabilia. Some sellers take their con even further by forging certificates of authentication. This certificate creates the illusion the autograph has undergone extensive authentication measures, but the opposite is true.

The sports memorabilia market is estimated to generate more than a billion dollars each year. Seeing how much people love to purchase autographs presented an opportunity for forgers to take advantage of unsuspecting customers. The ability to hide behind a computer screen has made passing off a forgery even easier. The result: The market is now flooded with fake autographs.

Another problem is many authentication companies have been proven to be less than trustworthy on multiple occasions. One recent news report showed a female reporter forging an autograph of a baseball player at a card show. She took it over to the authentication booth where a so-called expert gave it his seal of approval in fewer than five seconds. Rest assured, this isn’t an isolated incident.

I believe there are some authenticators out there looking to build up their database of verified autographed collectibles. They loosen their standards to reach their goal. Furthermore, they spend little time authenticating signatures of players who aren’t superstars because there isn’t as much money in those autographs. This opens the doors for a forger to come in and acquire authentication from a somewhat reputable authentication firm because it wasn’t willing to go the extra mile to ensure the signature really was valid.

So where does this leave us, the buyers? The best way to ensure an autograph is real is to acquire it yourself. Go to card shows, arrive at games early or send a ball in the mail to make sure the player is signing the piece. Other than that, it really is all about trust. Do you trust the person selling you the autographed collectible? If it’s from a local card shop with which you have a long-term relationship, you might be able to place your trust in the seller. If it’s from someone across the country on eBay, it might be best to resist clicking the Buy Now button.

The most common coin used for small transactions in early America was the copper British halfpenny. These were widely accepted non-legal tender status and were a prime choice for unauthorized reproduction by private individuals. Many counterfeits were made in this country by casting or other crude methods; some were even made in England and imported to this country. During the American state coinage era, engravers used dies to mint unauthorized, lightweight, imitation British halfpence. These American-made British halfpence have the same devices, legends, and in some cases, dates as genuine regal halfpence. There are three distinctive groups of these halfpence: The first group probably struck in New York City dated prior to 1786, the second group was minted in New York City during the first half of 1787. The third group was struck at Machin’s Mills during the second half of 1787 and into 1788. Dates used on these pieces were often evasive and are as follows: 1771, 1772, and 1774 through 1776 for the first group. These pieces are not to be confused with similar English-made George III counterfeits, some of which have identical dates or with genuine British halfpence dated 1770-1775. Several individuals petitioned the New York Legislature in early 1787 for the right to coin copper for the state but the authority was never given. Instead, a law was passed to regulate the coper coins already in use. Nevertheless, various unauthorized copper coins were issued within the state, principally by two private mints. One firm, known as Machin’s Mills was located at the mills of Thomas Machin near Newburgh. The operations of Machin’s Mills were conducted in secret and were looked upon with suspicion by the local residents. They minted several varieties of imitation George III halfpence as well as coppers of Connecticut, Vermont, and New Jersey

During the NAZI era of 1930-1940 Germany, the World War II era, the government created a state policy where ‘undesirable’ groups within Germany and any of its occupied territories were isolated from the general population. These groups were identified as Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, criminals, political prisoners, and emigrants.

Once identified, they were forced to wear a distinctively designed cloth badge on their clothing to help identify them to the general population as to which persecuted group they belonged. Eventually and systematically, those wearing the cloth badges were moved as groups and imprisoned in outdoor concentration camps.

The Jewish population was one of the largest groups forced into concentration camps. While there, they were routinely decimated through forced labor, starvation, disease, and outright extermination.

The particular symbol chosen to identify the Jewish population as a whole was the Magen David, or Shield of David. This six pointed star-shaped design is actually made by the intertwining of two triangles. It is said that the triangles represent the intertwining of the Jewish people or that one triangle points upward to G-d and the other points down to earth. However, early Jewish text does not specifically identify this symbol as that of the Jewish people. There was some references to its use on synagogues as early as the 17th century, but not how it was chosen to represent the Jewish religion. Still, this symbol was adopted by the late 19th century Zionist movement and eventually incorporated into the national flag of Israel.

This Magen David, the Star of David, was the symbol most used by the Nazi regime to identify its Jewish population. There are many versions of the Magen David used in different regions of Nazi influence. The red star armband above is only one design possibly used in the Eastern Europe concentration camps. However, the newness of the armband suggests that it is a more recent fabrication and not authentic to the period.

Once incarcerated in concentration camps, the triangle seems to have prevailed as a unique symbol for all prisoners, only the color identifying the group the prisoner belonged. The other symbols for the other persecuted groups while in the concentration camps are identified as:

- yellow triangles for Jewish prisoners
- red triangles for political (Communist) prisoners
- purple triangles for Jehovah’s Witness
- pink triangles for homosexuals
- green triangles for criminals
- black triangles for Gypsies
- blue triangles for emigrants

Fake and Forgeries

It is evident and unfortunate that too many of the concentration camp memorabilia offered on online auction sites are not authentic. Many of them are being made from original cloth of the period which can make it hard to know for sure whether it is authentic or not. However, there is one rule of thumb to consider – if it looks too new, it is.

The Black Light Test

The other more sure way to know is to move a black light over the piece and if the thread glows, it is synthetic, a material not available during this period. That’s true of any painted object, too. If it glows under black light, it is of recent origin.

Collecting original concentration camp memorabilia is important as its very existence informs future generations that this shall not happen again.

“Pre – SPR” is a term commonly read on web boards, or heard from the mouths of militaria collectors at shows. It signifies a romanticized time period prior to the 1998 release of the movie Saving Private Ryan (or SPR). This Spielberg masterpiece revived so much interest in WWII and military history that overnight, countless new collectors were born. Soon all the affordable WWII militaria dried up to be replaced with skyrocketing prices.

Many assumed that SPR had only spiked the market like other good military movies have in the past. The dust would settle and the hoards of new collectors would eventually move on to new fixations. However, July 24, 2008 marks the 10-year anniversary for the release of SPR and prices haven’t dropped. They continue to rise. A common US M1 fixed-bale helmet with high-pressure liner went from being a $40.00 item in 1998 to a current value of $275.00 or more in today’s market. Rare and elite items have appreciated even more aggressively.

Fake German and Civil War militaria has existed for a long time, but after SPR, fake US WWII militaria began to flood the market at an increasing rate, especially for elite units.

SPR cannot take 100% of the credit. The 2001 HBO series Band of Brothers has been a contributing factor in recruiting masses of new collectors and single handedly making 101st Airborne memorabilia a white collar collectable.

Many speculated that Clint Eastwood’s 2006 releases Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima would create insane demand for USMC and Japanese militaria. Their value has increased, but Eastwood’s films haven’t touched the impact SPR has had on militaria collecting.

I can reminisce about Pre-SPR just like the next guy, but I also see the value in a growing collecting community. With this new breed of collectors came more websites, web boards, discussion groups, and better networking. Worse things can happen to a hobby than increasing prices and fakes. I know of too many other hobbies that are dying off due to lack of young blood or interest. Who will these people sell their collections to over the next several years? This is something militaria collectors won’t have to worry about for a long time.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

This weekend I went to a flea market that had an “antique store liquidation sale” in an adjacent building. The building contained numerous rows of furniture. I would guess between 70-100 pieces total. The event was advertised on television and radio as an antique tag sale however; all the pieces were pricey reproductions.

I wanted to take pictures, but there were signs posted stating, “no cameras”. It would have been difficult to snap a shot because there were sales staff cruising through the isles constantly. I looked on the web for images of this type of furniture for my blog, but I only found one example that resembled the inventory I saw (see pic).

The furniture spanned many periods including colonial, country/primitive, Arts and Crafts, Shaker, fantasy/eye sore, and a style I will simply call “Tacky Asian”. All of the pieces had an oil rubbed look (like Pottery Barn furniture) with artificial distressing under the finish. The wood species appeared to be the same for every piece. It was soft wood with no prominent grain pattern.

The construction of each piece was poor with horrible dovetailing, chunky proportions, visible plane marks, weeping glue joints that did not get sanded, etc. The hardware was thin, artificially patinated, and too exaggerated for each period (particularly the Arts and Crafts and Asian pieces). The interiors of the cabinets also had an imported smell that resembles the odor of poorly tanned leather from India or Mexico, or the smell of every Pier One Imports store I’ve been in.

Each piece was marked with a sales tag bearing the name of the piece, period of manufacture, and price. My wife and I chuckled over the circa 1900 Arts and Crafts entertainment center… perfect for your turn of the century big screen Television. I felt a pit in my stomach as I walked past pieces with a red “Sold” tag dangling from them because many of them had sold for what a real example would cost.

I guess the moral of this story is buyer beware. Study real antique pieces before spending money on anything and learn from experts you trust. Once you have been around real antiques, fakes will stick out and offend your eyes.

The pieces I’ve mentioned in this blog were probably made with the intent of being marketed as inexpensive reproductions. It was the people leasing the building space for the liquidation sale that were misleading the public. Cheap repros are easy to spot, but there are also fakes created by skilled craftsman. These pieces require serious examination of the wood, construction, smell, finish, and hardware. You also have to watch out for period pieces that have been refurbished.

Sellers seldom mention flaws in pieces they are selling, unless you ask direct questions. I’ve also learned when you are evaluating an item with the intent to purchase, if something doesn’t add up it’s best to walk away from the piece because you will never be fully content with it.

As in everything in the world “all that glitters isn’t gold”. If you are a novas or an auction veteran there is always something to learn and if you don’t learn you will get burned.

Auction companies provide a service, both to the buyer and the seller. Providing a venue for Estate Attorneys, Trust Departments, Estate Executors, Heirs, The General Public and Dealers to dispose of personal and real property. In doing this they create a venue for you and me to buy items we collect or need.

Buying and selling at auction is a two way street.A little knowledge can sometimes be very dangerous for consumers and dealers alike.

Since the beginning of the antique collecting craze people have been trying to scrape a living or earn a little extra money from it. Knowledge is worth a lot of money if used properly and feeling you have the ability to know more than the next guy or gal can make you a lot of money or cost you dearly when buying or selling.

Fakes and copies are sold on a daily bases in auctions across the world. The ability to reproduce antiques is no new thing; some reproductions from a hundred years ago are being sold as two hundred years old or older because the same method was used to make them.

One thing we forget is just because technology has moved forward doesn’t mean we can’t step back and use methods that are two hundred years old. New technology gives us the ability to age and distress metal, wood and most other materials.

Learn as much as you can but never be afraid to say “I don’t know” or ask someone that does know, a person who is an expert in their field.

I have attached photographs of an example of what you don’t know can hurt you or make you a lot of money.

Everyone knows “Tiffany” and that is valuable, how valuable is this piece? I look forward to your comments and will follow up with an answer and my own comments soon…