Through careful research and a collaborative effort from within the Concert Poster Community, we can conclusively announce the discovery of a stash of forged copies of this extremely rare and highly sought after Grateful Dead poster.

All collectors should proceed with extreme caution when contemplating the acquisition of this rare issue and receive iron clad Guarantees of Authenticity from any seller. In January, 2014, PAE was privileged to auction the first known example of a poster advertising the Grateful Dead at Jenison Field House, in East Lansing Michigan, on the campus of Michigan State University. The concert was held on March 13, 1971 and the artist was Hugh Surratt.

Shortly after our sale, this poster began frequently appearing in auctions and dealer inventories throughout the nation. Curiously, each example that surfaces exhibited the exact same wear, water damage, pinholes and discoloration.

Here are the definitive measurements of authentic copies. There are currently two copies known, one that came from the artist and another still retained by the artist.

The authentic poster is printed on thin stock and the overall dimensions are 17 13/16” x 24 5/16” . The upper rectangular image exhibiting the Sun and Grateful Dead legend measures 5 9/16 “ x 15 ¾”. The lower rectangular image that exhibits a portrait of the band measures 15 ¾” x 15 7/16” . The top border of the poster measures 1 ½ “ and the bottom border measures 1 9/16” . The left border of the poster is 1” and the right border measures 1 1/16. “

The easiest way to detect bootleg copies is by the telltale aging that was executed by the counterfeiter. The bootleg copies are is printed on heavy paper and have been artificially aged yellow on the front and is white on the back. The fake copies also exhibit moisture ripples and staple holes.

The overall dimensions of the counterfeit copies are 17 3/16 x 23 9/16”. The upper rectangular image of the Sun and Grateful Dead legend measures 5 7/16” x 15 ¼”. The lower rectangular image showing a portrait of the band measures 14 15/16” x 15 ¼” . The top border of the fake poster is 1 3/8” the bottom border is 1 7/16”. The left border of counterfeit copies measures 1 1/16” the right border equals 1 ½”.

All of the bootleg copies can be traced back to a Craig’s List seller in Wisconsin by the name of Mike.