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Cuban Warranty Seals

I just wanted to top this to let you guys know that I'm working with xprinter on an analysis of an amazing variety of warranty seals that I've collected, both genuine and bogus. We should have some interesting things to report in the next few weeks.

Wilkey
 
Ginseng said:
I just wanted to top this to let you guys know that I'm working with xprinter on an analysis of an amazing variety of warranty seals that I've collected, both genuine and bogus. We should have some interesting things to report in the next few weeks.

Wilkey
Click to expand...

Are you seeing fake seals which are replicating the microprinting legibly? The lack of exact precision on valid seals and the variability may have made this feature almost obselete for competent forgers at this point.
 
Ginseng said:
Here is a side-by-side shot of authentic and counterfeit seals under longwave UV light.

WarrantySealsAC01.jpg


There are three things to note:

1. The paper used to for the fake seal contains UV brighteners and thus glows bright white under UV. The paper used for authentic seals appears dingy in daylight and dark under UV because it lacks the brighteners.

2. The detail of the seal itself is slightly different. (You can't see that in this photo)

3. Note the color of the seal printing.

Wilkey
Click to expand...


Does a black light work or does it have to be a true UV source? I have a cheap black light incandescent bulb from 15 years ago that I bought at Spencers for Halloween. It doesn't do anything except get very hot
 
Ginseng said:
I just wanted to top this to let you guys know that I'm working with xprinter on an analysis of an amazing variety of warranty seals that I've collected, both genuine and bogus. We should have some interesting things to report in the next few weeks.

Wilkey
Click to expand...
Hey Bud, did you get a chance to finish this analysis? xprinter sent me a couple to try and I was very suprised. I thought they were pretty decent, definitely not what they claimed to be, but not a bad. It was better than many other cigars I have smoked.
 
Cory,

In fact Xprinter has a portion of the most interesting specimens and has been analyzing them. We'll discuss the findings and then present when we've made enough sense to tell a compelling story. What I can say is that some counterfeiters have gotten better. Much better.

Smok'em,
The first UV source I used was in fact an old Halloween black light bulb. It was a broad UV spectrum source so it worked fine. What will not work are typically short wavelength UV LED sources. I'd say give it a try.

Wilkey
 
Ginseng said:
Cory

Smok'em,
The first UV source I used was in fact an old Halloween black light bulb. It was a broad UV spectrum source so it worked fine. What will not work are typically short wavelength UV LED sources. I'd say give it a try.

Wilkey
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response! Makes me a LITTLE nervous, as any labels I shined my black light on did not show the changes.
 
I had trouble gettting the seals to properly represent under the incadescent light bulb. Went and bought a 9.99 flourescent UV blacklight and they showed up very well.

-D
 
Dan,

Yeah, not all bulbs of the incan variety will work depending on the filtering to extract the UV. The handheld UV source I use has a small fluorescent tube lamp in it and it works great. The UV lamps that you get in the urine treatment kits (like at Linens and Things, etc.) also use mini-fluorescent and are cheap and work well.

Smok'em,

What do you mean they do not show changes? The seal does not appear? Unless your boxes are 2000 or earlier, that's not a good sign. I have one 2000 box that must have been right on the changeover. It has absolutely pristine microprinting but does not display the UV seal.

Wilkey
 
Ginseng said:
Dan,

Yeah, not all bulbs of the incan variety will work depending on the filtering to extract the UV. The handheld UV source I use has a small fluorescent tube lamp in it and it works great. The UV lamps that you get in the urine treatment kits (like at Linens and Things, etc.) also use mini-fluorescent and are cheap and work well.

Smok'em,

What do you mean they do not show changes? The seal does not appear? Unless your boxes are 2000 or earlier, that's not a good sign. I have one 2000 box that must have been right on the changeover. It has absolutely pristine microprinting but does not display the UV seal.

Wilkey
Click to expand...

??? Don't know what to think. When I shine the black light on the seals, nothing fluoresces. I see you stated Linens and Things, anywhere else you know to get a UV light cheap? Thanks!

ddepaola said:
I had trouble gettting the seals to properly represent under the incadescent light bulb. Went and bought a 9.99 flourescent UV blacklight and they showed up very well.

-D
Click to expand...

Any recommended places to buy one cheap? Thanks!
 
You can sometimes find these at stamp collectors or hobby shops or at pet shops for urine detection.

Wilkey
 
Like Wilkey says, it's gotta be SHORT WAVE UV. I have a long wave lamp and a short wave lamp for mineral specimens and only the short wave works. The pure short wave lamps can be expensive, but there are some cheapo's on ebay that are little hand held plastic fluorescent units that run on AA batteries. You might get lucky and get one at a hobby store that has a spectrum mixed enough to do the job.

Actually, maybe it wasn't THAT cheap - it was around $30 plus shipping

http://cgi.ebay.com/Filtered-4w-Short-wave...1QQcmdZViewItem
 
hewholooks said:
Like Wilkey says, it's gotta be SHORT WAVE UV. I have a long wave lamp and a short wave lamp for mineral specimens and only the short wave works. The pure short wave lamps can be expensive, but there are some cheapo's on ebay that are little hand held plastic fluorescent units that run on AA batteries. You might get lucky and get one at a hobby store that has a spectrum mixed enough to do the job.

Actually, maybe it wasn't THAT cheap - it was around $30 plus shipping

http://cgi.ebay.com/Filtered-4w-Short-wave...1QQcmdZViewItem
Click to expand...

Actually Wilkey stated short wave will NOT work. ??? I appreciate the help and link. I actually purchased one from ebay this morning, but it was only like 10 bucks with S&H. It's probably a piece of sh!t, but I thought I give it a shot.
 
Try Lowes builders supplies. I bought one a couple years ago so I'm not sure they still stock them. It is: PHILIPS TL-D 15W/08. It will do what you are wanting it to do.
 
Smok said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Filtered-4w-Short-wave...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url]
Click to expand...

Actually Wilkey stated short wave will NOT work. ??? I appreciate the help and link. I actually purchased one from ebay this morning, but it was only like 10 bucks with S&H. It's probably a piece of sh!t, but I thought I give it a shot.
[/quote]

Roger that, longwave is the right part of the spectrum.

Wilkey
 
I don't mean to be contrary, but my short wave lamp works well on the seals. Perhaps I got a strange light, but it does make all the proper minerals (the ones that react only to short wave light) glow, as they are supposed to.
 
What's the wavelength of your lamp? If it's above 400-405nm, chances are it might induce some fluorescence. I've tried a calibrated 395nm shortwave UV LED and it did not induce any fluorescence.

Wilkey
 
Wilkey, my lamp emits at wavelength 254nm - well into the short wave range. Like I said, however, it's a cheap lamp and it might well be firing off some long wave stuff as well.

Like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/L85-Short-Wave-UV-Lamp...1QQcmdZViewItem

I do know that some "invisible" markers on stamps and banknotes are designed to only be detectable under short wave as this kind of light is not as likely to be encountered from lamps bought in the usual light bulb stores. The Cuban seals apparently are not if folks are getting them to glow under the more common long wave lights.

Whatever the nature of the markers, I'm just glad that the seals are made with the phosphorescent markers so that we have another tool to help find the forgeries.
 
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