There have been many daring and dastardly deeds of deception throughout history. The daring deeds of the French Maquis and Britain's SOE in the second world war are legendary.
The faker and fraudster, on the other hand, just need a lot of brass1 to make a lot of brass2.
Our generall caused to be set up a plate of brasse, fast nailed to a great and firme poste; whereon is engraven her Grace’s name and the day and years of our arrival there ...
...
Caldeira ambled down a road. At an intersection in two dirt roads about a mile and a half inland from Drakes Bay he had kicked at a clod of dirt. Some mud had fallen away revealing a piece of metal. The chauffeur thought it might be useful for his automobile. He washed it in a creek and found it was covered with what he described it as “foreign writing of some sort”.
Source: UK in the USA
Image source:bancroft.berkely.edu
[1] a lot of brass - a lot of courage or effrontery.
[2] a lot of brass - a lot of money.
