288-Ex Soviet Republic sample or test designs

These 2 plates were for sale on Ebay in August 2013. Both look normal and are supposed to be from the Abkhazia 2006 series and the Tajikistan 2010 series. To someone who is not completely familiar with these designs, they probably look genuine.
Neither of them is correct however with the ABH plate having incorrect spacing and no pre-manufactured mounting holes and the TJ plate having the wrong font.

Although samples and test designs are much rarer than they used to be and these two plates may well be samples or test designs from one of the Russian factories, you have to be very, very careful and do your homework on plates you are bidding on. Check the online photo archives; is the font right, is the spacing right, are the designs printed on the plate in the correct place and properly printed, are the holes or slots correct, is it mint. Check all these things before bidding and always think: why is a mint plate for sale?

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