One of the most prized possessions in any collection is an autograph by Yankees Legend: MICKEY MANTLE. While Mantle autos aren't rare by any means, the market is and has been flooded with forgeries. 

Many are clueless about Mantle autographs, and the amount of forgeries that are out there. In order to help educate the beginner, I will share the 3 most common forgeries that I see flood eBay everyday. 

The first is the "Banana Mantle" or as I call them "Monkey Mantles". These are typically seen on balls/500 HR club balls. Often these come with a COA from Shop-at-Home. Look no further than the "M"s and you know it's crap. (The half moons on the M's look like bananas, hence the name). Numerous other things wrong about this horrific forgery, but it's fairly easy to spot immediately.

I will continue to add photos of forged Mantle items and worthless COAs from Ebay sellers as they are listed.

These are all laughable forgeries.

Common and mass-produced Mickey Mantle forged baseball from the 1990's.

Common and mass-produced forged Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams baseball.

Forged Mantle, Williams and DiMaggio with a worthless COA from Eagle Sports.  Ugly and laughable forgeries.

Mantle forged baseball with "536 Hrs" inscription.  Common forged Mantle baseball.  Laughable.

Forged Mantle on a 1994 World Series.  Authentic Mantle autographs on a 1994 World Series baseball are extremely rare, especially with the inscription NO 7.    Common and mass-produced forgery from the 1990's.   Garbage.

Mass-produced forged Mickey Mantle photo with a worthless COA from B&J Collections.  There are probably tens of thousands of forgeries out there with a worthless COA from B&J Collectibles.

Another mass-produced forged Mantle baseball from the 1990's.

Look at this mass-produced forged Mantle baseball with the inscription "536 Hr's."  This is a laughable train wreck.

Look at this turd of a forgery.

Here's another mass-produced and common Mantle forged baseball.  Pathetic.

One of the ugliest Mickey Mantle forgeries I have ever observed.

Look at this garbage.  Pathetic attempt at a Mantle forgery.

Forged Mickey Mantle on a Budig baseball.  Garbage.

Forged Mickey Mantle with a worthless COA (90% of the COAs on Ebay aren't worth the paper they are printed on).

Forged Mantle baseball.  Horrid-looking!!!

Forged Mickey Mantle bat.  100% laughable.  I know 5-year old kids who could have penned a better forgery.

Ugly forged Mickey Mantle bat.  This comes with two worthless COAs.

Look at this laughable forged Mantle baseball.

Look at this train wreck!!!   Forged Mantle, Mays and Snider.  I know five-year old kids who could have penned a better set of forgeries.  These are laughable.

Pure crap!!!!

Yikes!!!  Look at this train wreck.  Forged Mickey Mantle card.

Look at this forged Mantle on a jersey.  Pure garbage and laughable.

Look at this laughable crap!!!  I know some little kids who could have penned a better forgery than this garbage.

Forged Mickey Mantle baseball.  Mass-produced forgery from the 1990's. Comes with a worthless COA.

This one is totally ridiculous!!!  This one easily rates in the Top Ten Of The All-Time Most Laughable Mickey Mantle forgeries.

Forged Mickey Mantle photo with a worthless COA.

Worthless COA.

Ugly forged Mickey Mantle baseball.

Typical and common forged Mantle baseball from the 1990's.  Pure junk.

Forged Mickey Mantle baseball.

Forged Mickey Mantle photo with a worthless COA from GAI.  Look at this garbage; mass-produced garbage.

Forged Mickey Mantle baseball.  Total train wreck.

Look at this laughable forged Mickey Mantle baseball.  I know 3-year old kids who could have penned a better forgery.

It's very rare that you find a forged Mickey Mantle on this postcard.  Penned by a moron forger.

Mass-produced forgery-style from the 1990's.  People are still selling and buying this garbage!!!  Worthless COA from Instant Replay (who?).

This one is so laughable.

Forged Mantle baseball and a worthless COA.

Forged Mickey Mantle photo.  Ugly as sin.

Forged Mickey Mantle photo.  Pure garbage.

Forged Mantle baseball.

Mass-produced and common Mantle forged baseball from the 1990's.  With all of the information available out there, people are still selling and buying this garbage.

It must have taken the forger of this crap at least thirty minutes to pen this laughable forgery with a worthless COA.

Yikes!!!!

Another laughable forged Mantle with a worthless COA.

Check out this garbage!!!  This is laughable!!!

I know five-year kids who could have penned better forgeries than some of these.

Look at this train wreck with a worthless COA.

This is a total train wreck. 

This garbage is rare.  A forged Mickey Mantle photo with personalization.  I know little kids who could have penned a better forgery.  Disgusting and laughable.

Yikes!!!

Look at this garbage.  I know three-year kids who could have penned a better forgery.

Another garbage Mantle with a worthless COA.

Laughable forged Mantle with a worthless COA.

Check this out;  three Mantle forgeries in one auction.  The loser COA is from Shop At Home; as we all know, Shop At Home sold approximately $750,000 in forgeries during the Operation Bullpen era.

This is one of the ugliest Mickey Mantle forgeries you will ever observe.   Just laughable.

My goodness!!!

This one is not only laughable but one of the ugliest Mickey Mantle forgeries you will ever observe.

Look at this train wreck.

This is just plain laughable.

Drew Max certed garbage.

Ugly forgery.

Pathetic forgery.

Typical Shop At Home/Operation Bullpen forged Mickey Mantle.

Look at this train wreck.

This is by far one of the most laughable Mickey Mantle forgeries I have ever observed.  Just ridiculous and a total train wreck.

Forged Mickey Mantle baseball.

Forged Mickey Mantle photo with a worthless COA from Stat Authentic (dirtbag Ted Taylor).  Stat Authentic, as we all know, is deservedly on Ebay's Banned COA list.

Look at this crap on the 1994 World Series baseball.

Look at these train wrecks. 

Mantle, Williams and DiMaggio forgeries on a baseball.

Ugly and mass-produced forged Mantle baseball.

Ugly and common forged Mantle photo. 

Common Mantle forgery.

Forged Mickey Mantle baseball (includes forged Joe DiMaggio).

Mass-produced forged Mantle baseball.

Laughable.  I know three-year old kids who could have penned a better forgery.  My goodness.

Obvious forgeries.  Just horrid-looking.

Worthless COA from Frangi.

More garbage.

Check out this garbage.

Look at this laughable and ugly train wreck.

Laughable forged Mantle.

Look at this mass-produced garbage.  Ugly forgeries.

Here's another Mickey Mantle forged baseball that includes forgeries of Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio.

Forged Mantle on a baseball with a worthless COA.

Two laughable Mantle forgeries with a worthless COA from Classic Traditions.

Look at this crap!!!

Forged Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.

Look at this train wreck; forged Mantle and Maris index card.

Look at this train wreck.  The moron who penned this forged Mantle baseball penned it on a Budig baseball.

Worthless COA.

Look at this train wreck.  Laughable forgeries.

I know three-year old kids who can pen a better set of Mantle and DiMaggio forgeries. These are truly laughable.

Look at this garbage.  The forger must have taken 20 minutes to forged this "Mantle."

This was penned by a 2-year old.

Check out this forged Mickey Mantle/Joe DiMaggio card.  You would be hard-pressed to observe a more laughable set of forgeries.  Looks like they were penned by a 3-year old.

Worthless COA from Home Plate Memorabilia.

Look at this garbage.  Worthless COA from L&P Collectibles.

Laughable forged Mantle with a worthless COA from B&J Collectibles.

Typical and common Mantle forgery.

I know three-year old's who could pen a better forgery than this.

Look at this train wreck.

Laughable Mickey Mantle forgery with worthless COA from Bullseye Collectibles (who?).

Look at this crap.  Worthless COA from Las Vegas Memorabilia.

Some moron forger penned the below "Mickey Charles Mantle."

These look like they were penned by a 2-year old.  An idiot forger penned this crap.  You would have to be a moron to buy this garbage.

Worthless COA from Pro Sport Authentic (Who???).

Ugly Mantle forgery with worthless COA from "Authenticated Ink."

"Florida" forgery.

Laughable Mantle/Williams forgeries on a baseball.  Worthless COA from B&J Collectibles

GFA-certed garbage.  Simply put--Forged Mantle Copy on inkjet paper.

This is just plain laughable and ugly.

Here's a forged Mantle on a Budig baseball.

Next we have the "Operation Bullpen" forgeries which flooded the market in the 1990's. If you don't know what Operation Bullpen is, it's worth a Google. Here are some examples of "Operation Bullpen" forgeries penned by lead forger Greg Marino:
Lastly we have the most common forgery style I see. This crap usually comes with a COA from YMC Sports, Autograph Legends LLC, Myst-O-Graph, Christopher Morales, Drew Max, GFA or some other bogus COA. Often these come in a very intricate display which tries to get people to ignore the forgery. People are often fooled by this.

Once you see enough of these, they are pretty easy to spot. They look like "Milkey Mautle". Truly horrific.

If you are looking to purchase an authentic Mickey Mantle, avoid examples like those above, and the COAs mentioned. If you don't know anything about The Mick's autograph, I would recommend buying one that is certed by PSA/DNA or JSA. 

*AVOID CRAIGSLIST/UBID/ESTATE AUCTIONS/OTHER CRAPPY AUCTION SITES

There are several people on here who are incredibly knowledgeable on The Mick's auto, if you have any questions on authenticity feel free to post them. 

For more information regarding The Mick, as well as numerous examples of forgeries feel free to read through the Mantle, Williams, DiMaggio thread posted here: http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/mantle-williams-and-...

For information regarding tainted Scoreboard COA's I suggest you read this blog by Mr. Christopher Williams: http://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/blogs/mickey-mantle-joe-...

For authentic exemplars, check out Fuddjcal's discussion here: http://live.autographmagazine.com/profiles/blog/show?id=3524372%3AB...

For information on GAI certed forgeries check out Steve Cyrkin's discussion here: http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/the-gai-mantle-dimag...