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Forgers & Forgery: Insights into Historical Documents & Autographs
On this episode of Inspired by History, Rebecca Barry interviews Nathan Raab, president of The Raab Collection and author of The Hunt for History, about forgery in historical documents, manuscripts, and autographs and how collectors can avoid being deceived.
Raab discusses notable forgers such as Charles Weisberg, Robert Spring, Joseph Cosey, and Lee Israel, noting that some Spring and Cosey forgeries have become collectible and that modern issues often involve high-resolution reproductions that can be hard to detect in scans. He advises lay collectors to buy from trusted, experienced experts and to apply common-sense and contextual tests—matching dates, locations, handwriting, paper, ink, and overall consistency—emphasizing that authenticity is determined by multiple interlocking criteria and a single failure can invalidate a piece.
Raab recounts uncovering a forged early Abraham Lincoln letter that had been published and offered by a reputable dealer, explaining that problems in the letter’s writing and line quality raised suspicion and underscored the need for skepticism and fresh scrutiny. He distinguishes healthy suspicion of documents from suspicion of sellers, noting many people unknowingly possess forgeries, and he addresses misconceptions about rarity by explaining relative definitions of uncommon, rare, and very rare, including that Lincoln military commissions are desirable but not rare.
To learn more, visit https://www.raabcollection.com/learning#forgery
00:00 Introduction to Inspired by History
00:31 Forgery in Historical Documents: Why It Matters
00:50 Famous Forgers: Spring, Cosey, and the ‘Collectible’ Forgery
02:14 Modern Forgery & High-Res Reproductions in the Internet Age
03:43 Beginner-Proof Advice: How to Avoid Buying Forgeries
05:10 Authenticity Checklist: Context, Paper, Ink, Handwriting & Provenance
07:05 Case Study: The Forged Lincoln Letter
09:38 Healthy Skepticism: History vs. Lore + Don’t Blame the Seller
10:56 When Fakes Come to You: Washington Letter Reproductions
11:39 Misrepresentations: What ‘Rare’ Really Means: Rare vs. Uncommon vs. Unique
12:57 Conclusion
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By The Raab CollectionOn this episode of Inspired by History, Rebecca Barry interviews Nathan Raab, president of The Raab Collection and author of The Hunt for History, about forgery in historical documents, manuscripts, and autographs and how collectors can avoid being deceived.
Raab discusses notable forgers such as Charles Weisberg, Robert Spring, Joseph Cosey, and Lee Israel, noting that some Spring and Cosey forgeries have become collectible and that modern issues often involve high-resolution reproductions that can be hard to detect in scans. He advises lay collectors to buy from trusted, experienced experts and to apply common-sense and contextual tests—matching dates, locations, handwriting, paper, ink, and overall consistency—emphasizing that authenticity is determined by multiple interlocking criteria and a single failure can invalidate a piece.
Raab recounts uncovering a forged early Abraham Lincoln letter that had been published and offered by a reputable dealer, explaining that problems in the letter’s writing and line quality raised suspicion and underscored the need for skepticism and fresh scrutiny. He distinguishes healthy suspicion of documents from suspicion of sellers, noting many people unknowingly possess forgeries, and he addresses misconceptions about rarity by explaining relative definitions of uncommon, rare, and very rare, including that Lincoln military commissions are desirable but not rare.
To learn more, visit https://www.raabcollection.com/learning#forgery
00:00 Introduction to Inspired by History
00:31 Forgery in Historical Documents: Why It Matters
00:50 Famous Forgers: Spring, Cosey, and the ‘Collectible’ Forgery
02:14 Modern Forgery & High-Res Reproductions in the Internet Age
03:43 Beginner-Proof Advice: How to Avoid Buying Forgeries
05:10 Authenticity Checklist: Context, Paper, Ink, Handwriting & Provenance
07:05 Case Study: The Forged Lincoln Letter
09:38 Healthy Skepticism: History vs. Lore + Don’t Blame the Seller
10:56 When Fakes Come to You: Washington Letter Reproductions
11:39 Misrepresentations: What ‘Rare’ Really Means: Rare vs. Uncommon vs. Unique
12:57 Conclusion