xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) These are images of Trilobite Replicas for sale, legitimately listed as replicas. It is hoped that folks will see that replicas are getting better all the time and look carefully before they make a purchase. I've skipped the more ridiculous specimens, and will try to add more replicas as I come across them. Most have been assigned an ID, these may be found by mouse over of the image. If you have images of trilobite replicas you'd like to post here, you are more than welcome Carmine Edited March 11, 2015 by xonenine "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) ...crotalocephalus(in multiple images there is an alleged real specimen) Edited March 10, 2015 by xonenine "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ...dicranus "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ...phacops or no ID "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ...phacops or no ID "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ... "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 ...Asaphus, no ID, with counterpart "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 To reiterate, these are all replicas, and are being offered legitimately on line as such. One thing to take away from this highly informative topic is that it is possible that some of these could wind up on the secondary market, being offered as genuine (and not necessarily as an intentional fraud). If you are considering the purchase of a trilobite that is identical in every respect, it could be one of these replicas (or a cast of one, in which case the matrix might not be exactly the same). "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyrannosaurusRex Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 One of the best ways to tell a fake I have learned is to tap your fingernail on it. The real ones will feel and sound like stone. Fakes, made from usually plaster will be easy to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeopteris Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 That second from last one definitely looks fake. It just doesnt look like a real animal, looks made up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han.T Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) The quality of some of these replicas are pretty close to the real thing and I can see how some sellers can be fooled into offering them as genuine! I can recognise some of these from Ebay and it is good to know that dealers there correctly describe these reproductions as so. On the other hand, here are some replicas(really bad fakes in some cases) being offered as the real thing at the recent Quartzite Arizona fair. It is a pity that some unsuspecting folks who visit these events do not know better. The trilobite mortality plates(I affectionately refer to them as "trilobite pizza") are definitely a classic example of Moroccan fakery. They are popular as they make for a nice centerpiece and at best you get a plate of composited low quality trilobites. The other trilobites at this event just look like bad quality casts(with bubbles in the matrix and badly painted). Please do share if there are any other tell-tale signs to spot for! More photos in the next post... Edited March 11, 2015 by Han.T The Singaporean Fossil Collectors Group, come join us here today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han.T Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 All photo credit goes to snowhorse420 on imgur. Link to the album of fakery at this particular event. The Singaporean Fossil Collectors Group, come join us here today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han.T Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 These two trilobites might not be replicas/fakes(hard to tell from the photos), but seem badly prepared and definitely overpriced for their quality. It will be great to hear what other's opinions are on these! The Singaporean Fossil Collectors Group, come join us here today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) thanks Han, for adding some great examples. The last two seem like simulated bad prep to mask lack of details Edited March 11, 2015 by xonenine "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplomado Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Great thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hovland Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Hi, Informative post I wondered what I can do to be able to recognize a fake? Are there a "to look for list", and what can I do to see if I have purchased a copy or real? will a blacklight reveal a fake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Hi, Informative post I wondered what I can do to be able to recognize a fake? Are there a "to look for list", and what can I do to see if I have purchased a copy or real? will a blacklight reveal a fake? There are a number of procedures that I have read about often: black light, careful examination under magnification (look for bubbles), application od a hot needle (resins will melt)... Still, how to interpret the results requires at least some familiarity with genuine fossils. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han.T Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I find that most genuine Moroccan Devonian trilobites have a crack repair running through the matrix somewhere. They usually split these nodules open to determine the type of trilobite inside, then glue the halves and prep from the outside(correct me if I am wrong!). These lines are not always obvious especially if the preparation work is a high standard, but I don't think there is incentive to fake this kind of detail. Just another visual cue for you to look out for if you are buying online with only photos for reference. Otherwise, you probably need the fossil in-hand for the other tests(black light, hot needle, acetone for paints, etc). First photo credit: Extinctions 1 The Singaporean Fossil Collectors Group, come join us here today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now