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ATricksterArtist
(Not-So-Newbie)

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MockGuffin
Except, instead of mistaking something worthless for a valuable item, the item itself is either discharged, damaged, or is actually worthless in one way or another, despite previous intel painted it as something important. Meaning smart people, did research, and either it became outdated, or they got wrong info.