The Anthon Transcript (often identified with the "Caractors" document) is a small piece of paper on which Joseph Smith, Jr. wrote several lines of characters. According to Smith, these characters were from the Golden Plates (the ancient record from which Smith claims to have translated the Book of Mormon) and represent the Reformed Egyptian writing that was on the plates. In 1828, this paper was delivered to professor Charles Anthon, a well-known classical scholar of Columbia College, Columbia University, for an expert opinion on the authenticity of the characters and the translation. Some adherents to the Book of Mormon claim that Anthon attested to the characters' authenticity in writing to Martin Harris but then ripped up his certification after hearing the story of Joseph Smith and the plates. Critics claim that Anthon believed any idea of Reformed Egyptian was a hoax all along and that Harris was being deceived.
Believers claim that this event fulfilled a Biblical prophecy made by Isaiah (Isaiah 29:11-12), as Anthon said to Harris, "I cannot read a sealed book."
In 1980, Mark Hofmann created and sold a forgery of the Anthon Transcript to leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was revealed to be fraudulent when Hofmann's crimes were investigated.
Read more about Anthon Transcript: Harris' Account of His Meeting With Anthon, Anthon's Accounts of Meeting With Harris, Caractors Document