How to Authenticate Currier & Ives Prints

Examine the bottom, top and sides of the print for copyright information or any notes from the manufacturer indicating the print is a reproduction.

Examine the print through a photographer̵7;s loupe or magnifying glass. If you see a field of small dots, then the print was photographically reproduced through the dot-matrix process and is a copy.

Examine the thickness of the paper. The paper should be thick, with a matte (not glossy) surface. Prints on glossy or thin paper are reproductions.

Look up the print in a reference book and measure the print area for the proper dimensions. Most originals were issued in only a single size. The standard sizes for original prints are small (8̶1; by 12-1/2̶1;), medium (10̶1; to 14̶1; by 14̶1; to 20̶1;) and large (over 14̶1; by 20̶1;). The standard references for Currier & Ives prints are Frederic Conningham̵7;s "Currier & Ives Prints: An Illustrated Check List" (which gives the standard ̶0;C̶1; numbers used by collectors to identify the prints) and" Currier & Ives: A Catalogue Raisonne," published by Gale Research. These books list information on approximately 7,000 original prints.

Examine the quality of the print impression and color. Currier & Ives issued only lithographed prints, which were created by pressing a sheet of paper across a lithographer's stone and coloring by hand. The colors in the print should be bright and vivid. Hold the print up at an angle. If the characteristic sheen given by an application of gum Arabic can be seen, you probably have an original.