The distinction between the true and the false has always been one of the special challenges of historical research. Particularly in the case of inscriptions, it is not uncommon for the original findings to be distorted by later restoration, historicising recreations or even deliberate (mis)falsification. The aim of the 12th International Conference on Epigraphy was to determine the position between reality and fiction in selected cases. The dialogue with specialists in the materiality of inscription carriers was deliberately sought. In this anthology, therefore, not only proven epigraphists but also specialists in restoration techniques, stained glass and metallurgy have their say.