page_title: Edward Simpson (forger)
section_title: Forgeries
hierarchical_section_title: Edward Simpson (forger) / Forgeries
caption_attribution_description: Edward Simpson (Flint Jack) replica; broad, triangular spearhead with obliquely angled shoulders and a square tang. c.30% cortex on ventral surface. Opaque, dark grey flint, flecked with light grey inclusions.
context_page_description: Edward Simpson was a British geologist and forger of antiquities, such as arrowheads and fossils. He was also known as Fossil Willy, Old Antiquarian, Cockney Bill, Bones, and Shirtless. Other names included John Wilson, of Burlington, and Jerry Taylor, of Billery-dale, Yorkshire Moors.
context_section_description: Replica flint tools made by Simpson were sold nationally and have entered into the collections of several regional and national museums.As well as flints and fossils, Jack made and sold fake ancient British and Roman urns. He initially used Bridlington clay but, finding the cliffs of Bridlington Bay unsuitable, moved to Stainton Dale, between Whitby and Scarborough. He travelled, on foot, for many miles selling his 'collections' that he claimed had been found on the Yorkshire moors. He is also reported to have successfully sold a genuine-looking Roman breastplate (pectorale) in Malton, made out of an old tea-tray and fashioned on his own body.
  In London in 1859, Jack was accused of forgery by Professor Tennant. The professor, fascinated by the hard-to-detect forgeries, persuaded Jack to describe his manufacturing methods to members of the Geological and Archaeological Societies.
caption: Replica flint spear attributed to Flint Jack
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "", "Image Make": "NIKON", "Image Model": "COOLPIX P500", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2013:05:14 13:37:28", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image ExifOffset": "286", "Image SensitivityType": "Standard Output Sensitivity", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "996", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "2636", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/50", "EXIF FNumber": "5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Manual", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "160", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2013:05:13 13:00:48", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2013:05:13 13:00:48", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF CompressedBitsPerPixel": "4", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "7/2", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF LightSource": "Tungsten (incandescent light)", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "67/10", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "4000", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2133", "EXIF FileSource": "Digital Camera", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Manual Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Manual", "EXIF DigitalZoomRatio": "0", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "38", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF GainControl": "None", "EXIF Contrast": "Normal", "EXIF Saturation": "Normal", "EXIF Sharpness": "Normal", "EXIF SubjectDistanceRange": "0"}