The most commonly faked cigars are Cuban cigars. This is done for two reasons: because original ones are hard to come by and because their price is high and make for excellent business. However, almost any cigar can be reproduced. To identify a fake, keep the following in mind:
1. Look at the quality of the box and seal. New seals are usually multicolor, have watermarks and serial numbers. Poorly-designed labels may indicate a fake.
2. Look for stickers and burned engravings on the side or inside of the boxes of the handmade cigars. High-quality handmade cigars, especially Cuban cigars, do not have plain ink stamps. Ink is commonly used in fakes, though, because it’s easier to reproduce and imitate.
3. Look for factory and date stamp on the box. Fakes rarely include this, because a specific date makes it easier to identify a fake.
4. If it sounds too good to be true… if you find a handmade cigars selling for significantly less than the real price, ask yourself why.