Are These Counterfeit 1972 Topps Baseball Cards? (Front Pics Added)

MooseDog

Friend of mine who buys cards locally sent me these scans of some 1972 Topps Baseball. I'm pretty sure the ones on the bottom are counterfeit (note the smaller type used in the statistics box - but anyone else know for sure?

ajw

I have no idea, but I'd be mildly surprised if someone went to the expense to counterfeit 1972 Topps cards.

cravetopps

I would agree they are counterfeit. Not only is the typeface smaller, the text on the Carew card is 4 lines on the top and 5 on the bottom. The copyright mark also lines up under the H column on the 72s I have but on the bottom cards, under the 3B column.

sagard

Please show us the front as well. Something obviously isn't right with those backs.

MooseDog

<< <i>I have no idea, but I'd be mildly surprised if someone went to the expense to counterfeit 1972 Topps cards. >>



Back in the 1980s the stars from the early 1970s sets were high value cards. Even the 1971 Topps Steve Garvey RC has known counterfeits, if you can believe that!

I'll ask my friend to send front scans too and post when I have them.

Anyone know if these are listed in the SCD Counterfeit Detector book?

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

For '72, I could only find small/large font variations on 2 of the fronts of the checklists.

I'll check my E/V book when I get home and note any findings.

rbdjr1

<< <i>Friend of mine who buys cards locally sent me these scans of some 1972 Topps Baseball. I'm pretty sure the ones on the bottom are counterfeit (note the smaller type used in the statistics box - but anyone else know for sure? >>



Interesting! Take a look and compare the reverse of some 1972 OPCs

rd

themetalsign

Man those 1792 OPC cards are old. Possibly the oldest cards in existence...........






Dave D.

tennesseebanker

Could they be cards used in some early 70's board games ?
I know Topps produced some cards for many of the late 60 early 70's board games, Some of the cards would be identical, others would look a little different, usually on the back.

grote15

I'd be interested in seeing the fronts of those cards, too. The backs are definitely different from the standard Topps issue. Could they be Venezuelan issues? They look to nice to be (most Venezuelan issues I've seen are very worn), and I'm not familiar with the Venezuelan issues, but I know some collectors here would know for sure. Sure is strange in any event.

digicat

Fakes.

SCD's Sportscard Counterfeit Detector: 2nd Edition, 1993.

Page 67 (Carew) & Page 75 (Rose)

"No specimen has yet been made available for examination and photography.

According to a May 15, 1983 article in Baseball Card News, this card is one of a group of eight 1971-1973 Topps baseball cards that were apparently produced by the same hand. The fakes surfaced in Southern California, but then, as now, were rarely seen in the hobby market.

Unlike virtually every other counterfeit, the persons responsible for production of this group did not simply photo-reproduce the existing typography on the genuine cards, but rather had most of it – front and back – reset. The noticeable differences in size and shape of type which resulted make this group of counterfeits fairly easy to spot.

An even more noticeable difference between the cards in this group and genuine Topps cards is that (with the exception of the 1973 Schmidt rookie) all of the fakes have omitted the Topps copyright symbol before the copyright line on the back of the card."

rbdjr1

<< <i>Man those 1792 OPC cards are old. Possibly the oldest cards in existence...........






Dave D. >>



funny (I corrected it to 1972! I was only off by a few years! )

rd

MooseDog

Excellent work digicat!

Thanks for the info. I'll still post the fronts as soon as my friends send them.

A761506

This is actually a unique circumstance. While the cards are obvious fakes, they might actually have a little value, as they have been documented by a trusted source, but they have been noted as being so scarce that they have not even had a single example to examine.

zef204

<< <i>This is actually a unique circumstance. While the cards are obvious fakes, they might actually have a little value, as they have been documented by a trusted source, but they have been noted as being so scarce that they have not even had a single example to examine. >>




You just blew my mind...

MooseDog

Front Scans....notice the screen lines in the photos and the different font in the name...fakes are on the left.

CDsNuts

Submit them to PSA and see what happens.

Lee

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

Ohh good idea. Place your bets...

lostdart58

You would think the fakes would have flawless centering.....

MooseDog

<< <i>You would think the fakes would have flawless centering..... >>



I was thinking the same thing...

Stingray

Why is that guy behind Carew playing golf.

digicat

<< <i>You would think the fakes would have flawless centering..... >>



How critical was centering in determining condition back in 1983, when these fakes were created?