A counterfeit or false copy of something, especially a forged document or artwork made to deceive.
From French contre- (against) + face (face/appearance), combining Latin contra- (against) with facies (face). The term evolved to mean a deceptive imitation that shows a false face to the world.
This medieval term reveals how forgers were already sophisticated—they understood that fooling people meant creating something that looked right on the surface, literally putting on a false face.
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