
How Banksy Authenticates His Work - pmatos
https://reprage.com/post/how-banksy-authenticates-his-work
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hjk05
There’s nothing cryptographic about this. It’s a central authority that either
says “yes it’s real” or not. The system revolves around trust in that central
authority. Everyone can easily fake a certificate which cannot be
independently falsified without asking that central authority, who will be
more likely to check their books than to do anything related to the actual
certificate.

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cycrutchfield
Does cryptographic imply decentralized?

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gitgud
Cryptographic implies math is used, which doesn't seem to be the case here.

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cycrutchfield
That’s a rather restrictive definition of cryptography, don’t you think?

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gitgud
Well yes _strictly_ speaking it's not just math, but _usually_ it does imply
math.

What are some examples of cryptography without math of some kind?

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arpa
Character substitution comes to mind, as described in
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventure_of_the_Dancing...](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventure_of_the_Dancing_Men)

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aussieguy1234
Drug traffickers use the same technique as receipts for drug drops:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20484197](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20484197)

~~~
notduncansmith
Circular reference detected

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dmix
That always happens on HN. Someone linking to interesting content in threads
is a common way for them to hit the front page later.

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recursive
I'm missing something here.

Anyone can produce a torn-in-half "Di-faced" fake banknote with Lady Diana's
face on it, with a handwritten ID number across the bill.

Hell, I'll validate your Banksy pieces for £64.

Where's the authenticity coming from, and whats even the point of the torn
note?

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t0astbread
The point of the torn note is (as far as I understood) that the authenticator
keeps the other half. So anyone can contact the authenticator and ask them if
they have a counterpiece for any given note.

I don't see how this prevents someone with visual access to the note and the
painting from creating a fake though. (The article mentions the tear is hard
to reproduce but I doubt that.)

Additionally I don't see how this prevents anyone from distributing a valid
note with a fake or wrong painting.

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chrischen
They’d have o create a precisely matching tear.

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sin7
Couldn't I sell a fake Banksy with the real authentication?

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steve19
Yes but then you now have a real Banksy that will be labeled a fake because
the fake print #18375 has a letter of authenticity while your real #18375 does
not.

You would need to get Pest Control to keep issuing certificates for the same
print, which they probably won't do.

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harry8
This probably should be considered in the context of the work that shredded
itself once the auction was completed. You'd think twice about having your
expensive "Banksy" authenticated after the fact by sending it away to parts
unknown.

There's always someone dumb enough in the art world or someone who wants the
story and has far too much money.

I quite like Banksy, tbh, but overexposure is a thing.

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icanhackit
Possibly not great for any artists maintaining anonymity/pseudo anonymity
but...

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fluids_in_art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fluids_in_art)

Semen, due to the ability to sequence the DNA and difficulty obtaining a
sample, is a fine genetic watermark.

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awinter-py
the original meaning of 'symbol' meant this -- it was basically a ticket stub
used to authenticate a document

(it only took on its modern meaning in a 16th century poem)

[https://www.etymonline.com/word/symbol](https://www.etymonline.com/word/symbol)

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smitty1e
Somebody named Banksy using a bank of bank notes for authentication?

Sounds like a old joke with newfound currency to me.

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boogdan
Similar way of doing business as the drug cartels
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20484197](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20484197)

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saxatrumpet
Neat way to protect authenticity especially within art

