Content

• Steps
• Tips

It's okay if you want to know if a given signature is a genuine autograph of one of your favorite celebrities? Here are some tips for determining the authenticity of an autograph.

But keep in mind that these are guidelines only, not hard and fast rules. It takes years of experience to be able to distinguish real from fake, and reading these simple rules won't make you an expert overnight. If in doubt, consult someone who is familiar with this, at least one of the AFTAl, PADA members or a registered UACC dealer. All of these can be found on their respective websites.

Steps

1. 1 Turn the autograph upside down. The best way to compare a signature is to turn it over. In this case, your brain does not read it, it can objectively notice warning signs and small differences between autographs that can reveal a fake.
2. 2 Beware of stamped signatures. Fake autographs are often reproduced mechanically. Slide your thumb over the signature, in particular its outline. If it's flat, then the "autograph" was probably stamped.
   • On the other hand, if you can feel the texture of the ink on the top of the page, then you should understand that the autograph was added later, but it can still be printed or replaced with a stamp.
   • Also, keep in mind that this method will not work on fabric items such as a T-shirt, as the fabric absorbs the dye without leaving a raised layer.
3. 3 Look closely at the ink. Get out your magnifying glass and look for visual cues.
   • On the printed signatures, all the ink is applied at the same time and lies in a denser layer at the edge of the rubber. Through a magnifying glass, you can see that there is more ink at the edges of the lines than in the middle.
   • Look for autographs, printed by machines, which can have an unnaturally "smooth" effect.
   • Check ink color. If you decide the paper is most likely genuine, look at the ink. If they are dark brown, like dried blood, they can be oxidized. Some of the older ink was made from iron oxide. If their color is dark brown, turning into yellow at the edges, then it is likely that this ink was made from a difficult-to-dissolve sediment and a mixture of water and egg yolk. But that would be a very old autograph. Any paper used for these paints will almost certainly be tracing paper. At the time, nothing else was available.
   • If the name is written with a pen, the nib will cut through the wet ink and create "tunnels" and "bridges" visible through a magnifying glass. However, autographs can be duplicated using an automatic pen: there are machines that use a mechanical hand to drag a pen over a plastic or metal template signature - or "matrix". The next step will give you a more complete picture of this.
4. 4 Look for the warning signs of "robots". When you write your name, you do it in one continuous movement. Also, the pen starts moving before you start writing because you move it towards the page.
   • An automatic pen, on the other hand, is lowered onto the paper with one point and abruptly cut off with another point.This can be seen through a magnifying glass.
   • If the line is unnaturally "jittery", it may be due to vibrations in the auto-operator of the machine.
   • Pay attention to straight lines that look like they were made by a machine - especially if those lines are interrupted by the random vibrations of the "robots" where the fountain pen slipped off.
   • Look for inconsistencies. Are the lines wobbling? Does it look like the pen has been torn off the paper? Few do this, but often the place where the line breaks can tell of a fake.
5. 5 Sign your autograph to the light.
   • If the ink in your signature seems too light, or if the pressure is even across the entire signature, it is most likely a fake.
   • Another trick is to get a celebrity's signature on the negative and then reproduce the photo with a white signature. However, this method was widely used even before the advent of digital photography and is not used in modern images. If the caption color on the photo is silver, then it was most likely embossed, or maybe they just used a silver pen!
   • If the paper looks like waste paper, but it is signed by A. Lincoln, then most likely it is a fake.
   • Look at the laid paper lines. These are lines made from flax or dried plant fibers. Lay paper was common in the 18th century.
6. 6 Think about the number of autographs. A fraudster may have 30 or 40 fake David Beckham autographs. But Beckham himself will never make that many signatures. In fact, he will most likely only give one autograph at a time, fearing that they will be sold. As a result, genuine dealers are likely to have no more than one David Beckham signature per month.
   • Also remember that celebrities and other personalities often sign an autograph to a specific person, so only a specific person can have that autograph.
7. 7 Beware of private auctions or any request from the seller to maintain confidentiality - this is often just a gimmick to hide the sale. Indeed, there is no legal basis for the seller to ask you to keep the deal secret. A reputable seller will be able to guarantee the origin of the signatures he sells with supporting documentation. A merchant you can trust should offer you a lifetime warranty. In addition, a reputable salesperson will speak openly about their history, their latest deal, recommendations, and expertise.
8. 8 Think about how, when and why this autograph was given. If an autograph dated earlier than the 1960s is signed with a felt-tip pen, it is a fake. Markers didn't exist until 1960 and must be signed in ink.
9. 9 Ask yourself: could this person really put his signature here? For example, if you were the President of the United States, why would you sign a record card? There are tens of thousands of appointments or types of military service certificates, examples of paper money, PostMaster appointments, and land grants signed after the 1930s that should have been genuine, but they are not.
   • There are exceptions. There was an incident at the Antiques Roadshow where several World War II dollar Silver certificates were signed by several heads of state, politicians and military dignitaries.
10. 10 Use a trusted source of authentication. Don't be discouraged, there are examples of the above documents that are genuine. But it is a good idea to seek professional advice to make sure you are doing this from trusted and reputable sources.
    • Authentication services have been reliable in the past, but some have come under fire in recent years. PSA / DNA, for example, has identified fake signatures as genuine. You can find many examples on Google.
11. 11 Also beware of the many companies that claim to be experts without being able to document their experience and professionalism. These companies often charge just a few dollars for authentication, which will take a real expert hours to complete.
    • Also, do not unconditionally trust the seller if they refer to membership in the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC) or a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). UACC membership can be bought and COA documentation can be faked on a computer. However, UACC Registered Dealer status requires its members to provide proof that they have been a member of the club for at least 3 years.
12. 12 Look for any additional text that can help verify the authenticity of a signature or autograph. If Mark Twain wrote about flying on a jet plane, then something is wrong here.

Tips

• Find the original signature of the person and compare it to the autograph you have.
• Often the fakes will be written by one person. They will have the same height, smoothness, and other similar elements.
• The more signatures there are on the sheet, the more errors can be found. Place a jersey with 10 fake team signatures in front of a jersey with 10 real signatures and the counterfeits will be easy to spot.
• The paper can provide valuable clues about the age of autographs and any other type of writing that can be used to prove your age. Vellum, or parchment, has been in use since 1000 BC. and until very recently, in the 19th century, not counting the archival records. It has been replaced by wood, cotton or linen cellulose fibers.
• At the time of President Kennedy's death, Jacqueline Kennedy used a fountain pen to sign her responses to the thousands of letters of condolence she received.
• The best way to ensure that the signature is genuine is to be in place when the autograph was given. When you write to celebrities for autographs, don't assume that they are going to sign it themselves. In many cases, the assistant does it for them. The best way to avoid this is to witness the signature yourself.
• According to the Principle of Auctioneer, documentary expert and appraiser Weight Cowan, "Even the best specialists can be misled. Don't be afraid to get another opinion." - Antiques Roadshow.
• Ask yourself: "Maybe the secretary did it?" That is why it is perhaps best to consult a trusted expert.
• If the autograph seems like too much of a good buy to be real, then it is probably a fake.