ABSTRACT
The subject of forgeries may seem to be the stuff of best-selling movies. Forgeries of both documents and paintings have on occasion fooled the greatest authorities, and tales of such forgeries abound. The sophisticated forger will do whatever is needed to make his or her forgery appear genuine. Perhaps the most readily discernable manner of detecting a forgery is to examine the ink. The glue used on envelope flaps can provide a clue to forgeries. An enterprising forger, Robert Spring, made his living personalizing George Washington letters for members of old-line Philadelphia families. For instance, a person might attempt to place a forgery in an archive as a means of supporting a favored historical notion that lacks documentation. In addition, the idea of a group of politicians planting such a document to obscure or confuse actual happenings is not beyond the realm of possibility.
