A replica is an exact copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Copies or reproductions of documents, books, manuscripts, maps or art prints are called facsimiles.
Replica of the Thor's hammer from Scania. The original find was created c. 1000 AD.
A General Terracotta Replica Warrior 1.1 m (3+1⁄2 ft)
The replica Difference Engine No. 2 in the Science Museum, London
Replica of a 1932 Bugatti Type 41 "Esders Roadster Royale"
A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of reproduction by attempting to replicate the source as accurately as possible in scale, color, condition, and other material qualities. For books and manuscripts, this also entails a complete copy of all pages; hence, an incomplete copy is a "partial facsimile". Facsimiles are sometimes used by scholars to research a source that they do not have access to otherwise, and by museums and archives for media preservation and conservation. Many are sold commercially, often accompanied by a volume of commentary. They may be produced in limited editions, typically of 500–2,000 copies, and cost the equivalent of a few thousand United States dollars. The term "fax" is a shortened form of "facsimile" though most faxes are not reproductions of the quality expected in a true facsimile.
Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, a famous illuminated manuscript, is on view to both the public and to scholars only in the form of a high-quality facsimile
Facsimile of Edgar Allan Poe's original manuscript for The Murders in the Rue Morgue