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Suspect Lincoln

A Constant Flow of Fakes

December 28, 2019

eBay continues to be a venue for the bogus. This past week alone, we noticed a ninth plate ambrotype (2″ x 2 1/2″) that failed to find a buyer for $12,000, despite the fact that it had “been shown to an expert” (the Atlanta, Georgia seller neglected to relate the result of that examination), but an expert did see it. The original photo by Gardner was an albumen print. Almost concurrently, an Sheridan, Arkansas vendor offered a “half-dollar” size tintype of Lincoln, Pinkerton and McClernand which also is only known as an albumen print. He was looking for a $888 bid and, because of the “uniqueness of the item”, warned potential buyers that payment was required within 24 hours or the item would be re-listed. This is a trend which we can expect more of. We are not necessarily impugning the integrity of these vendors, but their ethics or knowledge leaves a lot to be desired.