Counterfeit Card Alert: 2000 Skybox Impact #27 Tom Brady

Shunned until the sixth round of the NFL Draft in 2000, Tom Brady has gone on to an NFL quarterback career widely regarded as the greatest of all time. Brady has seven Super Bowl rings after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A 2000 Skybox Impact #27 Tom Brady graded CSG Gem Mint 10 Click images to enlarge.

Collectors looking for a Tom Brady rookie card have more than 40 choices, including the 2000 Skybox Impact #27 Tom Brady. Unless it is in a condition well below average, this card is worth several hundred dollars. CSG recently received a purported example of this card that turned out to be less than Hall-of-Fame-worthy.

A genuine card (left) and the counterfeit recently submitted to CSG Click images to enlarge.

Notice the difference in color on the counterfeit. There is supposed to be a blue background along with maize pants (reflecting the colors of the University of Michigan, which Brady led to back-to-back high-profile bowl games). However, on the counterfeit, they seem closer to purple and gold.

A genuine card (left) and the counterfeit, both shown under ultraviolet light. Click images to enlarge.

When compared to a genuine card, the poor quality of the counterfeit is evident. The stock of the counterfeit card is remarkably different, and it reacts under ultraviolet light, while a genuine example does not.

Close-up of the genuine card (left) and the counterfeit. Click images to enlarge.

In addition, under high magnification, you can see the dots from the printing process that created the counterfeit, which has a hazier appearance. Look in the star on the Patriots logo, and you'll see a few of these stray dots in an area that is supposed to be white. Dots are also visible all around the words "New England Patriots"; the genuine card does not have them. In addition, the printing process that created the counterfeit failed to reproduce the hatching pattern within these letters.

Some of the letters on the counterfeit card (top) and the genuine card. Click image to enlarge.

CSG uses world-class expertise, advanced technology, innovation and operational excellence to provide sports card collectors and dealers with accurate and consistent certification services. CSG backs these determinations with the industry-leading CSG Guarantee, which adds significant confidence, liquidity and value to the hobby.

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