Counterfeit Card Alert: 2001 Upper Deck Legends Autographs Bart Starr

The 2001 Upper Deck Legends Football set includes 51 Standard Autograph cards. Among the more desirable is the one for Bart Starr, the quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers to victories in Super Bowls I and II. These Starr cards can trade for over $100, so it’s important to know that the one you’re buying is genuine.

CSG recently received a submission of a purported example of this Bart Starr signature card. As would be expected with a genuine example, the signature was done in live ink, instead of being printed — something that is seen sometimes on low-quality forgeries.

Counterfeit 2001 Upper Deck Legends Football Autographs #BST Bart Starr

We compared the card in the submission to another autographed card from this set, one for San Diego Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts. We compared how light passes through the two cards and noticed a significant difference.

ABOVE: Counterfeit 2001 Upper Deck Legends Football Autographs #BST Bart Starr and a genuine Dan Fouts card from the same set. BELOW: Light passing through the Dan Fouts card (top) and Bart Starr card (bottom). Click images to enlarge.

There is also a significant difference in the pixelation on the Starr card. The pixelation occurs when a printer sprays dots of ink at the paper. Under high magnification, it is particularly noticeable in the smaller letters and along the edges of objects where a straight edge is expected.

Pixelation on the counterfeit 2001 Upper Deck Legends Football Autographs #BST Bart Starr (top), along with a genuine Dan Fouts card from the same set for reference (bottom). Click images to enlarge.

So it’s clear that we are dealing with a counterfeit card, though one with some level of sophistication. For example, the Upper Deck hologram on the counterfeit is close to what is expected on a genuine version. However, the foil on the fronts of the cards is noticeably different.

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.

Related Link More Counterfeit and Altered Card Alert columns