These days (England and Wales) you have to surrender the original will to get probate but I think you get a copy back, courtesy of Mr Xerox. Even before this kind of copying was possible the executors would need certified copies to deal with the assets but I imagine these would have been made by solicitors clerks. I think kylejustin is inviting a comparison of handwriting; if the writing is very similar then it's probably a copy. If not, it's the original. Ink etc may differ from the body of the will in any case, because it could be that copies might have been made before anybody signed the original. Since everybody signs the original at the same time (give or take a few minutes!) the pen and ink would often be shared but it might be different from the body of the will.
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