Define
A specimen (type, material, finish) is shown so the product proves itself under comparison.
Mechanism
Controlled display. Same conditions, side by side, no adjective required. The sample is the sentence.
Verdict
Buyers choose by eye or by hand and we can put the real thing in front of them.
Don't
The difference is not visible in a specimen. A pretty sample of a service is a brochure.
Rights-cleared examples
Behrens Antiqua type specimen
Behrens Mediaval type specimen
Behrens-Kursiv und Schmuck type specimen
Bifur type specimen
Cooper Black: First Showing
Cooper Series: First Showing of the Cooper Series
Krebs Cyrillic Specimen
Prisma type specimen
A Printed Specimen of Caslon Old Style Type, with Appropriate Ornaments
A Specimen of Book and Newspaper Printing Types
A Specimen of Cast Ornaments
A Specimen of Cast Ornaments on a New Plan