The higher the price and potential profit of an item, the more people there are making fakes.
The exorbitant profits of antiques have attracted numerous unscrupulous merchants, who may not be well-educated, but understand human psychology very thoroughly, and their fake-making skills are refined to perfection.
Whatever is popular in the market, they can make a counterfeit equivalent.
These items, whether in terms of materials, workmanship, or patina, can be made to look almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
Not to mention newcomers to the industry, even many veterans who have been rolling and crawling in the antique world for years can be deceived if they are not careful.
