JO ANN ANSWERS
Jo Ann Godawa answers the question of how a forged signature of another maker on a piece of Steuben affects a good piece glass
I would think that the degree of diminished value, if any, would depend on how defacing the fake signature is. This signature was quite small, faint and scratched right into the middle of the pontil.

I was down in Florida at the time, doing the Miami Beach Show. I bought some jeweler’s rouge and, using my thumb, was able to make it all but unnoticeable.

I sold the vase to Bob Rockwell at the show who got quite a chuckle when I pointed it out to him. He was tickled pink that I was able to give him such a bargain! It was a gorgeously deep and intense color of pink.

If the fake signature were larger and on the outer edge of the bottom, in the iridescent portion, It might not be as desirable to some collectors. This could be mitigated by the rarity of the piece. A fake Tiffany Signature on a nice decorated Rouge Flambe` Vase, for example, probably wouldn’t bother me much.

One of my most cherished pieces of Steuben, is the large three color flying geese A-C-B vase with the deco handles. It has a hole the size of a dime drilled into the bottom. Did I pay less for it, yes! Do I enjoy it less, No!

Just my humble opinion,
Jo Ann