Time for a New Home Scavenger Hunt! 

FINE ART PRINTS
The term "print" is shorthand for: 
1. Commercial inexpensive offset lithographic prints AND
2. The much more valuable and sought after fine art lithography prints that are handmade, signed and numbered in a limited quantity by an artist. These are generally considered higher value due to their higher quality and low print editions. 

Whatcha Got?
Find a magnifying glass 
If your house is anything like ours, this could keep you busy for quite a while (you're welcome). Try the junk drawer!

Once you've located the magnifying glass, use it to scrutinize the print. Look closely to see if there are any organized rows of colored ink dots. Picture the ink dots on old comic books and you get the idea. The commercial print  offset lithography prints will usually show a dot pattern.
On the other hand, fine art lithography prints are handmade by an artist who draws directly onto a piece of stone, aluminum or plastic. Then the individual artist (or fine art printmaker under the direction of the artist) transfers the print onto paper by a labor intensive process of pouring ink into the design.
Print By Numbers
Another important factor in fine art print valuation is numbering.

The traditional way is to sign and number prints at the bottom of the image on the original paper, in pencil. A pencil mark cannot be reproduced by computers, making it less vulnerable to fraud.
The artist’s signature will usually be on the lower right and the numbering on the left.
The title, when shown, is usually in the center.
The numbers written on a fine art print refer to the number of this individual print (the first number) and the total number of impressions in that particular edition (second number). in the above print, this is the 6th print from a total of 100.
And Another Thing
Sometimes you will see "AP" where you would normally see numbers. AP stands for Artist Proof.

An Artist Proof is an impression of a print made early in the printmaking process to see how closely it matches the artist’s intent. Artist Proofs can be particularly desirable to collect because of their rarity and because they represent a record of the work in process. Especially in the case of dead artists, they can be the only evidence of the artist's incremental development of an image.
Of course, there are more kinds of fine art proofs, but these will get you started on your home scavenger hunt. If you have any questions, please keep us busy by sending photos and queries to info@converseauctions.com.
What if there are no numbers but it's signed?
First, use your magnifying glass to see if there is a dot pattern. If not, then you may have an original painting! This one is an original watercolor by a listed artist! Send us photos and we can help you figure it out!
Be well, stay at home, go on a scavenger hunt for prints and other items, and stay in virtual touch!

Yours sincerely,
M. Todd Converse and The Converse Team