Passports - "fake" vs "counterfeit"

[Vincent Cate]

On Tue, 13 Aug 1996, James A. Donald wrote:
>
> He never sold fake passports.  If his passports had been marked 
> "United States of America" or some such they would indeed be
> fake.  They were not fake.  

Websters defines fake with "to treat so as to falsify", "pretend",
"simulate", "imitation", "impostor", "sham", "faud", and "counterfeit". 
The passports fit most of these definitions.  A word applies if any of the
definitions work. 

If the passports had been marked "US of A" they would have been
"counterfeit". I did not say they were counterfeit (he clearly would not
be permitted to sell counterfeit passports).  

So his passports are not "counterfeit", but they are "fake". 

   --  Vince
 
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