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hankronThe mentioned proof cabinets I have seen have distinctly Old Judge players and poses, and are on black mounts that don't resemble the regular N173 mounts (note that some N173 mounts can be black). Especially as they have no text on the mount, they are easy to differentiate from the regualar N173.
Genuine 1880s cabinet mounts were die-cut in a factory and have an almost cookie-cutter appearance. The proofs I saw in person were obviouisly not factory cut,
One of the neat things is that the typical Old Judge era cabinet mount was gilded. This means it was embelished in gold. They were gilded on the edges and often on the text on the front (the words are in gold)-- though the gold dust has often flaked off the edges. Not only is it nice for the eyes, but this gilding is a great convenience for today's collector. Even if you are no photo expert, if you find an Old Judge or Joseph Hall cabinet at a garage sale and Old Judge or Hall's name is guilded on the mount, that's a huge sign it's genuine ... Some might argue that it would as hard to forge a real looking Dog's Head mount as it would the photographic print placed on it.