ASSORTED FAKE ITEMS

Related reference books for collectors:

Military Goods, Dealers, and Makers, 1785-1885, by Bruce Bazelon & William F. McGuinn

American Military Button Makers & Dealers; Their Backmarks & Dates, by Bruce Bazelon & William F. McGuinn

Uniform Buttons of the United States, by Warren K. Tice

Civil War Artifacts, by Howard Crouch

Horse Equipment of the Civil War, by Howard Crouch

American Military Headgear Insignia, by Michael J. O Donnell & J. Duncan Campbell

Civil War Canteens, by Steven Sylvia & Michael J. O Donnell

Compendium, a Guide to Confederate Money, by Colonel Grover Criswell

American Military Belts & Related Equipments,  by R. Stephen Dorsey

A Pictorial History of Civil War Era Musical Instruments & Military Bands, by Robert Garafalo & Mark Elrod

The Collector's Guide to Civil War Period Bottles & Jars, by Mike Russell

Historic American Spurs, by Howard Crouch

The Collector's Guide to Clay Tobacco Pipes, by G. Michael Russell

Don't Laugh!  Some slimola tried to sell this clunker as a Confederate nosebag for a horse!  Only a horse's ass would attempt such ridiculous fraud!

This North Carolina sunburst button is a common reproduction that has been aged.  It is an easy one to fool a would-be collector.  The metal is too thin, the shanks on these are almost NEVER present, the NC is perfectly centered which is not seen on originals.  This button is 22mm, not 23mm like originals and notice to the dramatic sunrays that, for lack of better terms, shoot out from the center shank region. 

Look at the lettering on this fake Confederate canteen.  That looks more like a kid's yearbook letters than period.  FAKE!  Carving is fresh as well.

This is a typical fake ID tag.  Note the letters are a modern die stamp applied poorly.

This is a very common faked cast button.  T.Miller's CS Texas buttons were also bowl shaped around the shank and very thin, unlike this repo.

Hey look!  A side-loader shot-put!  Who says there isn't fake cannonballs!

This bag may be many things, but a Confederate ammo pouch isn't one of them!  I couldn't make this stuff up folks...

Some enterprising crook thought he had him a winner with this fake Western theater canteen.  These are VERY rare, and go for well over $4000.  BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't adjust your screen, it is the photos that are messed up.  Yes the seller of this very fake South Carolina button blurred the photos in hopes to obscure the fakeness of it.  He failed.

This was being sold as an Indian Wars compass from Custer's 7th Cavalry.  Watch out as most 7th Cavalry stuff is bad that you see, including this junk.

DON'T LAUGH!  This was sold as an original Confederate bugle!  And it has been aged too!  Lord...

More junque from on of e-bay's biggest slimebags.  He routinely sells fake buttons and such in the REENACTMENT/REPRO category on e-bay and in his descriptions he claims that he "thinks" they are real, but he can't "prove it."  He claims that is why he has them in repro.  PLEASE!!!!  This button and all his items are fakes, and he is a scum worthy of a public beating. 

This is a GREAT example of a fake Confederate artillery button.  You will see this style all over e-bay, sometimes aged, and ALWAYS fakes!

Rapid aged fake Confederate saddle shield and M1851 buckle tongue.

Be VERY careful when buying broadsides like this, or ANY paper goods off e-bay.  This broadside is a fake, as are many others.  Unless you know your paper, don't buy.

There is lots of fake Hudson Bay items out there!  Be careful!  They all aren't as easy to see as this one.

These two spittoons are being sold as reproductions.  With that said, at some point a weenie will try to sell them as real.  They are shown here as a future reference.

This totally fake CS "powder flask" looks just beautiful on that horrific pink backdrop!  Oiy Vey!

This item is the type of crap that begs the question, "ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME????"

This is what is known as T-Total, fantasy, BS junk made by a three-toed, lowlife scum.

Fugly, typical fake Confederate canteen.

They don't get much more modern looking than this!  Fake Confederate kepi even a reenactor wouldn't use.  Brim wrong, liner wrong, stitching wrong, etc...

The seller of this reenactor's kepi wasn't sure if it was real or not.  It isn't.

Despite the crook's best efforts with the Spongebob camera, this is a fantasy item 100%.  On the right with the red background is the fake before aging.

Maybe if I stick two post-Civil War cuff buttons with it...maybe it will look real!  Then again...maybe not.  Total junk.

If you look at this thing and think it MIGHT be Confederate...you REALLY need to start collecting Beanie Babies!  This is a total, 100% fantasy item.

FAKE!!!!  The detail in the face isn't crisp, and the backmark is modern.  LEARN YOUR BACKMARKS!  Buttons should NEVER fool you!

This is a fake Western style Confederate canteen.  The rapid-age job is AWFUL!  This faker needs more time in crook school before he makes another piece!

This fake kepi is pure toilet-paper.

The bad focus in this photo isn't my fault, but the intentional blurring done by the crook selling it.  He is trying

to make it harder to see so maybe you might not realize so easily how fake it is.  SITTING BULL NEVER

SIGNED A PLAYING CARD!!!!!!  You will also see  Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, and Wyatt Earp versions of these.

This is the junk, fake Annie Oakley playing card.  Note the similarities in signatures between

Annie and Sitting Bull.  Buffalo Bill never called his show a "show."  It was just Buffalo Bill's Wild West. 

Don't think a cannonball can be faked?  This is a 12 pound copper shotput.  There are other things used

to make fake cannonballs so be aware.

Yes, this very modern chain is marked with a fake plaque proclaiming that this is a slave shackle! 

 Not in this lifetime.  Total junk.

Hey, Hey, Hey!  Look at the fake slave insurance document!  This looks pretty good in the photgraph!  The problem is, its as fake as a Democrat tax cut.  This is actually part of a box set of reproduced Civil War documents!  The scum selling this is a legend on e-bay for fake relics.  Of course there are no returns!  The box set this document came from is beside the document, and a much better buy.

This is not a fake item.  This is a post Civil War infantry badge.  The crossed rifles were not used until the Indian Wars.  These are often mis-listed on e-bay.

Does this look like President Abraham Lincoln to you???  Me either!  But it was sold as Lincoln on e-bay! 

Beware of sellers with period tintypes or other photos that claim they are famous historical personages.

9 out of 10 times they are just common Civilian or military people from the 1850's and 1860's.  DON'T BE FOOLED!!!

This is a photo of a US Navy sailor from somewhere between 1866 and 1880.   It was originally purchased by a known crook on e-bay for $20 or so, then the crook that bought it "found" a name written on the back that turned out to be...GEE!!!  George Dixon!  Who just happened to be the skipper of the CSS Hunley!  Isn't that just a coincidence???  This is the photo, and the McDonalds photo shows the opinions of the Friends of the Hunley and everyone else that saw it.  BEWARE of crooks that try to sell you generic images like this and the fake "Lincoln" image above and show you 5 or 6 "comparison" images to convince you that they are selling a "rare" or "undiscovered" image.  Most folks aren't dumb enough to fall for this obvious scam, but JUST IN CASE...

Here is a typical set of fake saddle shields offered by one of e-bay's super-scammers.  The patina's are applied as you can see.

Anybody that would fall for this joke as a Confederate lock needs a labotomy!  This lock isn't even from the 19th century.  Try the 1960's.  Lots of fresh rust as well.  "Yes, the South didn't have great recources, but they DID manage to make great locks!"  TOTAL BS!!!

This is a faked-up butter knife being sold as a "UCV KNIFE."  Note how fresh he engraving is as compared to the rest of the knife?  This is a $1.00 butterknife from the 1940's you can get at any flea market. 

P.O.S. fake Confederate saddle shield.  The guy selling these needs to drink Drano.

This is a 100% fake Confederate ID tag.  The seller is selling it as a reproduction, I am posting it here as an example.

Another fake Confederate martingale.  Better age job than most, but fake as a $3.00 bill just the same.

Fake Confederate artillery button.  The seller has blurred the photos to make it harder for you to tell. 

This is a 100% junk Confederate cast officer's button.  First, this button was NEVER cast!  It is a two piece brass with a backmark of EXTRA RICH TREBLE GILT.  These were imports and did not make it into the Confederacy due to the blockade.  Thus, they would not be "dug" as this fake patina implies.

This is a reproduction/reenactor's Confederate button.  Buttons are an easy area to spot fakes.  You need to learn your backmarks!  This button was made recently.

Fake wooden canteens are very popular on e-bay.  Often they have names, units and such carved into them, and all are Confederate of course!  This canteen is no different.  The lettering is fresh, and not period letter style.  You can also see the lack of uniform wear on the face. 

Look at this gem!  The seller claims this is...giggle...Confederate President Jefferson davis!  Not even close, but you can see the disturbing trend of taking generic images and trying to assign famous personages to them.  Be careful!

Fake badges are very popular.

Fake slave shackles, complete with fake plaque!  What a steal!

Here is a VERY fake CSA button.  Look at the crappy applied patina done with Comet, or a kit from a craft store.  The back was removed to hide the backmark which easily ID's buttons.  The blurred photo is also a tactic to throw you off.

There are many repro Confederate reunion pins like this for sale.  BE CAREFUL!!!!

I swear, some of these wastes of air would stencil CSA on a toaster if they thought they could sell it!  FAKE!

Hungry?  This recently made "hardtack" cracker was pawned off on e-bay as an original.  All it needs is a CSA stamp!

Fake CSA button.  Applied patina.

This fake CSA cuff button is being sold by the same crook as the one above.

An e-bay seller that has a handle that describes him as an Italian hairdresser is always selling this type of modern reproduction.  He tends to be incapable of clear photos as well.

Why do sellers of crap Confederate canteens always carve dates on them in a style NO Civil War soldier would use, and why do they use carpet tacks to decorate them?

How do you get the most bang for your buck out of that stencil set you got to make fake slave tags?  Easy!  You create a fantasy Confederate dog tag like this!

Here is a fantasy Confederate whiskey flask.  Why not stencil CSA on a whiskey flask??  Heck, it gets plastered on everything else.

I know this seems obvious, but this Confederate money is FAKE!!!!!  $3.00 for all of it in a giftshop.

This is the Confederate seal.  It is not an antique, but rapid aged.

Yes, we have hit rock bottom!  This is a CS saw!!!!  WOW!!!! The bottom feeder that made this joke should have his head sawed off with it.  Idiot!

Here is another fake whatzit, Confederate of course.  A luggage tag, or maybe a corpse tag?  Look at the careful application that the braindead moron used in putting those letters on!!!  Jeez...

You gotta love it!  Here is a bogus piece of cloth purported to be Confederate, with a bogus letter from a museum taped to the back.

What can I say?  "Confederate leggings" with a CSA stamp that has letters that you see in a high school cheerleader's yearbook.

Look at that junk and very RECENT stamp on the back of the picture.  Photo is a copy glued to the backing and the crap stamp added for good measure.

This is a 1960's reproduction Confederate Navy button.  FYI:  you need to learn your backmarks!  This backmark is a far cry from the original, and the detail on the face is not crisp.

This is being sold as a "Confederate" cufflink.  It is a cufflink, but the backmark on the button is early 20th century. 

This is quite the abomination.  It is a sort-of Martingale that was made into a fake buckle.  Great work.

This is one of those "Gee, I don't know if this is real," auctions.  It is just a copy glued to a backing.  Look at the grainy photo and you can tell.

Not that you can easily tell by these abysmal photos, but this is NOT a Confederate artillery button, but a British made button from the late 1900's.

This was sold as a Confederate slouch hat.  It isn't.  Modern.

These are reproduction cavalry rosettes.  Originals had a thicker bar on the back, and had a lead fill.

This is a CSA telescope!  WOW!  It even has CSA on it so it MUST be real!!!!  *sigh!* This is a cheap Pakistani souvenir item.

El crapola CS canteen.  Great fake patina, eh?

If this is a dug corps badge, then I'm an astronaut!  Note the fresh, modern letters and the crappy stamping.

This thing was actually peddled as REAL!!!  Yes, as the US was low on paper, all correspondance was done on brass...HA!

This thing was sold as a CANTEEN!!!!  Civil War no less!!!!  NOT!!

What a horror story this kepi is!  NOTHING on it is right.  Look at that spray-on patina, and the modern brim, as well as the repo crossed cannons.  J-U-N-K!!!!

This isn't a Civil War canteen...unless they had a Civil War in Pakistan.

REPRODUCTION cannon marker plate.  The word REPRODUCTION somehow didn't make the description.  Probably cast off an original.

This is a JOKE!!!!!!  Fantasy, P.O.S....whatever you want to call it.  These never existed!!!!!!!!!!

Yet ANOTHER modern reenactor made button.  If you learn your backmarks, you can NEVER be fooled by these.  That is the key to buttons.  The book, MILITARY BUTTON MAKERS & DEALERS, by Bruce Bazelon & McGuinn is a must.

This IS NOT a Confederate cannon key!

Look at this button.  The back mark is modern, and the detail on the face isn't crisp.  I can't say it enough:  LEARN YOUR BACKMARKS!!!!  Buy the button books listed at the top of this page and you will never be fooled by this crap.

Every ex-con living in a dirty box-trailer dreams of making fast money.  All they need is some tin, patina chemical, and a die-stamp kit and they can make fake Confederate dog-tags!!!  And then branch out into slave and corpse tags!

More fake Confederate buttons.