Historical forgery

Forgery, or the creation of a false document or object with the pretence of its recent discovery, is most often done for financial gain, in which case it constitutes criminal fraud. It may also be done to establish or enhance the reputation of an individual, or an institution, or to establish legal claims.

Forgery of historical documents and objects in recent times has included such diverse items as: the Piltdown Man; the Vinland Map which purported to show North America as discovered by Leif Ericson; the 1903 forgery The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion used by the Nazis to justify genocide of the Jews; and diaries claimed to have been written by Adolph Hitler.