Posted By:
davidcyclebackThere are a number of sport and non sport cards with gilding, including at least one Allen & Ginter non-sport. I've always considered the gilding the equivalent to an Upper Deck hologram. Just put the card into the light and see if it shines correctly-- not unlike checking out a hologram to see if it says UD.
And if a collector picks up an unknown but old looking postcard of Christy Mathewson, tarnished gilding on the edges is about a good a sign as any that the card is vintage. Few if any forgers are going to gild a reprint, and even if the did I don't know how they'd tarnish it.
Below is an brief article on gilding and modern metal printing that I wrote a number of years ago. It includes microscopic images of the two type of printing, illustrating how they clearly differ.
http://cycleback.com/gild.htm