Forgery
Forgery is the false making of an instrument to defraud.
Forgery is a white-collar crime that involves the false creation or material alteration of a legal instrument, carried out with the specific intention of defrauding another person or entity. Simply tampering with a legal document is not considered forgery unless that document is actually used in the course of the crime to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not inherently forgeries, but they can become forgeries if they are later knowingly and willfully misrepresented as authentic. While the term "counterfeiting" is most often applied to the forging of money or currency, consumer goods can also be counterfeits when they are not produced by the designated manufacturer indicated on the label or trademark. When the forged object is a record or document, it is frequently referred to as a false document. The word "forgery" does not originate from metalwork at a blacksmith's forge; rather, the sense of "to counterfeit" is found in the Anglo-French verb *forger*, meaning "falsify."
A forgery is fundamentally concerned with a produced or altered object. However, when the primary aim is less about the object’s value or what it proves, and more about a tacit criticism revealed by the reactions it provokes in others, the larger process is considered a hoax. In a hoax, a rumor or a genuine object placed in a fabricated situation may substitute for a forged physical object. Forgery is one of the techniques of fraud, which also includes identity theft, and it is a threat addressed by security engineering.
Historically, in the 16th century, imitators of Albrecht Dürer’s printmaking style improved the market for their own prints by signing them "AD," making them forgeries. The art market of the 20th century made forgeries highly profitable, leading to widespread forgeries of especially valued artists, such as drawings by Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, and Henri Matisse. A notable special case of double forgery involves the forging of Vermeer’s paintings by Han van Meegeren, and subsequently the forging of Van Meegeren’s own work by his son Jacques van Meegeren.
- field
- Criminal law, art, fraud
- known_for
- False making or alteration of documents or objects with intent to defraud
- related_crimes
- Fraud, counterfeiting, identity theft
Lore & Background
Forgery, as a white-collar crime, involves the false creation or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud. Tampering with a legal instrument is not considered forgery unless the altered item is actually used to deceive another person or entity. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not forgeries unless they are knowingly and willfully misrepresented as authentic. Forging money is more commonly termed counterfeiting, and consumer goods can also be counterfeits if they are not produced by the designated manufacturer indicated on the label or trademark. When the forged item is a record or document, it is often called a false document. The term "forgery" does not derive from metalwork at a blacksmith's forge but has a parallel history; the Anglo-French verb "forger" already meant "to falsify." A forgery is concerned with a produced or altered object, whereas a hoax focuses less on the object itself and more on the criticism revealed by the reactions it provokes. Forgery is a technique of fraud, including identity theft, and is a threat addressed by security engineering. In the 16th century, imitators of Albrecht Dürer’s printmaking style signed their prints "AD" to improve market value, making them forgeries. The 20th-century art market made forgeries highly profitable, with widespread forgeries of artists like Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, and Henri Matisse. A notable case of double forgery involved Han van Meegeren forging Vermeer’s paintings, and later his son Jacques van Meegeren forging Van Meegeren’s own work.
Reader's Guide
Forgery is a white-collar crime involving the false creation or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud. Tampering with a legal instrument is not forgery unless the altered instrument is actually used to defraud another person or entity. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not forgeries unless they become so through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money is more often called counterfeiting, and consumer goods may also be counterfeits if not produced by the designated manufacturer. When the forged object is a record or document, it is often called a false document. The term "forgery" does not derive from metalwork at a blacksmith's forge but has a parallel history; the Anglo-French verb *forger* already meant "to falsify." A forgery is concerned with a produced or altered object, whereas a hoax focuses less on the object itself and more on the reaction it provokes in others. Forgery is a technique of fraud, including identity theft, and is addressed by security engineering. Historically, in the 16th century, imitators of Albrecht Dürer’s printmaking style signed prints "AD" to improve sales, making them forgeries. In the 20th century, the art market made forgeries highly profitable, with widespread forgeries of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, and Henri Matisse. A special case of double forgery involved Han van Meegeren forging Vermeer’s paintings, and later his son Jacques van Meegeren forging his father’s work.
Did You Know?
- Forgery is one of the techniques of fraud, including identity theft.
- Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not forgeries unless knowingly misrepresented.
- In the 16th century, imitators of Albrecht Dürer signed their prints 'AD', making them forgeries.
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