Gallery
- Unusual
Page 14, Score Authenticator (a.k.a. Scoregard Lens)
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Longtime
collectors might recall that Score did their own "authentic" branding
for their products. (prior to and during the time when it was a Pinnacle Brands
owned company)
Following Upper Deck's hologram program - Score developed their own special
technology to thwart would-be counterfeiters. It's an unusual bit of special
printing that, to this very day, remains a real stumbling block for anyone trying
to produce a fake Score product.
As
you can see from the scan above, the 'authenticator' is based on technology
already in use. Commonly known as "lenticular imaging", it's virtually
the same thing seen on Sportflix or Magic Motion cards. The lens is made from
a sheet of clear plastic with a fine mesh grill. The idea is to put the flat
side (versus the grill side) on the item in question and when you moved the
authenticator in a circular motion (see diagram in the above scan) you should
expect two things to occur. 1) A rainbow pattern of colors will appear (a really
neat effect) and 2) A preprinted code, hidden within the complex printing pattern,
should appear.
Here is an example from a 1996 Pinnacle card:
 In the scan above you can see a typical code printed on the back of a Pinnacle card. (Again, prior to and during, the Pinnacle Brands period) |
 And here, using the Authenticator Lens, the hidden code is revealed. In this case PBI 96. Notice the way the names of Mo Vaughn and Harold Baines are heavily distorted compared to the version without the Authenticator. (see left) |
 And finally, rotating the lens ninety degrees, you can see the "rainbow" effect/pattern of colors. |
BTW I ordered
this back in 1993 when I saw the offer on a pack of 1993 Pinnacle Jumbos.
I'm not sure how many collectors actually ordered one - but it's a nice
thing to have - especially if you're trying to convince the big guides
to acknowledge certain unlisted
Score/Pinnacle cards. |
The lens is a very difficult item to locate nowadays. However, I did a web search and found several manufacturers who continue to offer this product/service so I believe it's possible to purchase what they call a "viewing window" or "viewing pane" which is the same as the Authenticator lens.
UPDATE (05/12/05): I recently learned that 1993 Pinnacle Joe Dimaggio Collector's Tin contains the ScoreGard Authenticator Lens. With over 200,000 sets issued, it's not as hard to get your hands on one as I originally feared when I first wrote about the lens and it's availability. I heartily suggest purchasing the Authenticator as it's a great tool for advanced collectors, particularly if you're trying to validate the many unlisted Pinnacle/Score/Donruss cards out there.
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