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I have seen an item with this mark and I'm trying to find out if it's original to the period or a modern knockoff.

I'd appreciate any help identifying it.

The "De" character used on your bronze is not of the Ming period, as it has an extra stroke that was not used during Ming times. The Ming version, still employed in Japan, is 徳. The Qing and later version is 德.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Mark and period Xuande bronzes are exceptionally rare and is the most copied mark among Chinese bronzes through the Qing and later periods.
Without clear photos of the object, it is difficult to assess. However, the characters in the mark seem to change in size from right to left - this could be just from the angle of how the photo was taken.
The mark on a genuine period piece should be very precise and each character in exact proportion to each other.

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