Authenticity (reenactment)

In historical reenactment, authenticity (sometimes referred to as the A-factor or simply A) is a measure of how close an item, prop, action, weapon, or custom is, to what would actually have been used or done in the time period being depicted.For example, in medieval reenactment cotton would be considered an inauthentic material (opposed to wool or linen, for example), although it would be deemed authentic in reenactment of certain modern periods and events, such as the American Civil War or World War 2. The same is true for the various types of woods, metals, or artificial materials such as plastic.
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