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Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators (GFA): What Methods Do They Use? Roger Maris Mickey Mantle Forged Photo

This is my Part 3 of "Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators (GFA):  What Methods Do They Use?"

Before I continue, immediately below are links to Parts 1 and 2.

https://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/blogs/guaranteed-forens...

https://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/blogs/guaranteed-forens...

As of today, and since Stephen Rocchi and GFA started in Sept. 2011, I still have not observed one authentic autograph with their COA (Stephen Rocchi and GFA).

Before we get to the examination of the forged Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle photograph , I want to repeat a few claims that are made on the GFA website.

From The GFA Website:

New Technology And Sophistication

As of Sept. 2011, the sports memorabilia authentication companies have used collectors and dealers as their authenticators.  These authenticators, highly respected in the industry have for their collecting and selling expertise have had little or no formal training in forensics and document examination.

Stephen's background in law enforcement along with his years of experience in authentication, working with well-trained forensic and document examiners, combined with today's latest technology, can produce scientific proof that signatures are authentic or counterfeit.

Anyone who believes the above is either gullible or delusional. 

There is no "Latest Technology."

There is no "Science" that was created by GFA to prove whether or not an autograph is authentic or a forgery.

It's all nonsense!!!!

Please read my other "Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators (GFA): What Methods Do They Use?" from the links above to read about Stephen Rocchi's claims.

There is no gray area here.  Rocchi is either totally incompetent when it comes to autographs or he is intentionally authenticating forgeries.

I state that because in over seven years I have yet to observe one authentic autograph with a COA from Rocchi/Gorajczyk and Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators!!!

Not one!!!

Every Mickey Mantle forgery that I have in my possession with a COA from Rocchi and GFA was produced on inkjet paper.

From my observations of GFA-certed forgeries just on Ebay, I have to assume that Rocchi has certed thousands of Mantle signed photos that were produced on ink-jet paper.

What are the odds that Mickey Mantle, who passed away in 1995, autographed thousands of photos that were produced on ink-jet paper?

Zero!!!!

I would bet my life that Mickey Mantle didn't sign one image of himself that was produced on ink-jet paper.

I also have a forged Billy Martin photo with a COA from GFA (Rocchi/Gorajczyk) that was produced on inkjet paper.

What are the odds that Billy Martin, who passed away in 1989,  autographed an image of himself that was produced on inkjet paper?

ZERO!!!!

Now I have in my possession, a GFA-certed Roger Maris/Mickey Mantle that was produced on inkjet paper!!!

What are the chances that Roger Maris, who passed away in 1985,  autographed an image of himself on inkjet paper?

ZERO!!!!

Aside from the items that I directly purchased from John House and AtAuction with COAs from GFA and Stephen Rocchi,  I have purchased dozens of other GFA-certed items (forgeries) on EBay.

The majority are, of course, Mickey Mantle forgeries and every image was produced on ink-jet paper.

"GFA's Scientific Proof"

What "Scientific Process" does Rocchi/Gorajczyk utilize to produce "Scientific Proof" that signatures are authentic or counterfeit?

There is no "Scientific Process."  It does not exist.

There is no "Scientific Approach" to opining autographs.  It does not exist.

There is no "Latest Technology."  It does not exist.

The aforementioned has zero to do with opining autographs, but Stephen Rocchi and his website make it read like there is some new "Science" or new "Technology" that GFA invented/created to opine autographs.

It's all BS!!!!

The forgeries that I have exposed over the years with COAs from GFA can be opined in less than one second.  Period.  They are all no-brainer forgeries.

Mr. Rocchi's website reads "During examination, each signature is carefully and independently examined. GFA utilizes authentication based on forensics including ink/medium analysis, object evaluation, side by side autograph structure analysis. On bulk items GFA conducts a pedigree and chain of custody investigation."

So after all of that aforementioned Forensic Examination and Scientific Process, Mr. Rocchi, you and John Gorajczyk were unable to determine that the images were produced on inkjet paper.

Here's a suggestion, Mr. Rocchi and Mr. Gorajczyk--The texture of a photo lab produced image and an image produced on inkjet paper is significantly different when you handle the paper.

Which prompts me to ask you, Mr. Rocchi-- Did either you or John Gorajczyk  personally examine any autographs?

Forged Roger Maris/Mickey Mantle Photo

Let's examine this forged Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle photo with a COA from Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators

Let's remember that Roger Maris passed away December 14, 1985 and Mickey Mantle passed away on August 13, 1995.

The Rocchi/Gorajczyk team has "authenticated" dozens of Maris/Mantle forged photos over the years and they never asked themselves "Where did all of these come from?"

As you can see below, these are both laughable and obvious forgeries.

Yes, this is in my possession.  I purchased it for a whopping $110.00.

The seller had it listed for $125.00 of Best Offer and they accepted $110.00.

If you knew you had an authentic set of Maris/Mantle autographs on a photograph, would you sell them for a paltry $110.00?

Of course not!!!!

Here is that forged Roger Maris/Mickey Mantle photo.  

As you can clearly see, they are obvious forgeries.   Also, I have no doubt these forgeries were mechanically-penned.  They were not penned by a human hand.

Below are various images from the above Roger Maris/Mickey Mantle photo examined using my ProScope2 (50X magnification).

As you can clearly observe below, the above image was produced on inkjet paper.

See the dots--inkjet paper.

Impossible for Maris and Mantle to have signed the above photo.

So is GFA a Forensic Scam or incompetence?

Here is the GFA COA.

A "Cert Check" on the GFA website confirms that Rocchi "certed" these forgeries.

I went to the GFA website and performed a Cert-Check on the number 808544.

Then I became very curious and submitted Cert Checks for numbers before and following 808544.

This is what I discovered!!!

Now here is something VERY REVEALING About Rocchi, Gorajczyk and GFA.

 

Observe the number (808544) on the COA.

When you go to the GFA website and perform a cert check, check this out:

Here is Cert Number 808541.

Here is GFA Cert Number 808542.

Here is GFA Cert Number 808543.

Here is GFA Cert Number 808545.

Here is GFA Cert Number 808546.

Here is GFA Cert Number 808547.

Here is GFA Cert Number 808548.

Is anyone beginning to see a pattern here!!!!

Here is GFA Cert Number 808549.

Summary:

According to the GFA website, Cert Numbers 808541-808549 are all Maris/Mantle autographed photos that GFA authenticated.

That means that someone is submitting batches (no kidding!!!) of Maris/Mantle forgeries to GFA for bulk submission.

Maris/Mantle dual-signed authentic autographs are very rare, but this is laughable!!!

Very revealing, of course!!!!

Not surprising, but very revealing!!!!

Views: 1295

Tags: Cert-Check GFA Stephen Rocchi John Gorajczyk

Comment by Eric Keith Longo on November 9, 2018 at 2:27pm

+1 be very concerned. I have seen, just at this site, mechanical Bowie, Beatles, Hendrix and so on and on - sports, Hollywood etc etc. :( There have been stupid obvious Bowie stamps and then computerized printed Beatles or Hendrix signatures where salutations and parts of other genuine signatures have been combined to create "new" items - unless you recognize the parts and are good with paper/ink...and yes, some have "papers". And then heat transfers like, IIRC, those Macca guitars and/or others.

Comment by Eric Keith Longo on November 9, 2018 at 7:44pm

Here is a more stupid example:

Comment by Eric Keith Longo on November 9, 2018 at 7:45pm

Fake on the left.

Comment by B. Anderson on November 10, 2018 at 5:19pm

Very disturbing and very distressing.

Comment by Steve on November 10, 2018 at 5:48pm

Follow the money trail and you will find crooks, every time.

Comment by Eric Keith Longo on November 10, 2018 at 5:59pm

And then there are these muddying up the field:

And this from them PSA Facts Page!

And this -  Sydell Spear anyone? PSA Facts...

Comment by Eric Keith Longo on November 10, 2018 at 6:04pm

And these:

Comment by B. Anderson on November 11, 2018 at 7:05am

So these are heat transfers? How can we tell from just paper and "ink" (whatever the abomination is)? Magnifying glass to look? Is there certain equipment I should invest into help see these? It may not always be possible to know the source it was copied from to compare an overlay.

I notice in your "something strange here" that black looks solid, uniform, whereas in the others it has more of a consistency of a sharpie. I see the dings copying over as well.

In the past I have taken a little rubbing alcohol and removed part of an autograph just to make sure it is not a reprint, but I also have caused damage as well, so that is not wise--particularly if it were valuable. I do not know if that would have any effect with mechanically produced autographs. In this case, I had suspect more a reprint. (You can always test it on a small spot of the photo/item to see if it does damage before trying the signature.) I found one that was inscribed to someone and look real, but the rubbing alcohol had zero effect whatsoever on the "ink," so I concluded it was a fake and returned it, even though the seller claimed to have gotten it from a journalist who had interviewed him. (I assume my conclusion is valid and that even if it were 10-20 years old the rubbing alcohol would have some effect if signature was indeed produced by a sharpie or similar instrument.)

Comment by CJCollector on November 11, 2018 at 7:10am
Comment by John Spillane on November 11, 2018 at 7:36am

As always, great stuff, Chris! 

I hope this isn't a stupid question.

Have (Rocchi/Gorajczyk) ever been called out on this stuff?

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