I didn't see a thread on this, and it's likely nothing new to anyone here, but still... I've been making a pile of fake historical documents (not forgeries, just... facsimiles), and thought I might share it here.
I've particularly been leaning towards letters of marque and other nautical items. Once you find the text you're looking for (easy to do with a Google search) just print it with a regular printer. I've found that some of the better-looking fonts (if they happen to be available on your word processor) are Blackadder ITC, French Script MT, Bradley Hand ITC, and Vivaldi.
For some added exotic-ness, run the text through an online translator (also easily found with a Google). The translations are usually pretty bad as far as language goes, but it looks nice.
Soak the printed document in some coffee and water (about half-n-half, the way I brew coffee) for fifteen to twenty minutes, then let it dry.
For a seal (especially to make those letters of marque more official) burn one of your colored candles for a bit, pour some of the wax onto the document - after it's dried out completely - and press a button with some sort of embossing onto it. They won't pass any real scrutiny, but make a nice prop...
