When an Autograph Signature Isn't Real

Unless you see the celebrity sign an autograph item himself or herself, there is a very good chance it is not real. From a serious collector's point of view, even a reproduction produced by a device that duplicates the celebrity's signature precisely is worthless.

So, just what are you getting?

Facsimile Signatures

To accommodate fans, celebrities often send out copies of autographed photos, in effect, autographs-by-proxy. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference and you have to look carefully, tilt the signed portion of the photo in the light, look for a signature impression on the back. I remember a celebrity auction where a facsimile photograph of a football player went for more than $40-$50. I don't know whether people examined it or not before hand, but they paid a lot for a photograph of a signed photograph.

Secretarial Signers

Secretaries routinely sign for their celebrity boss. It isn't just secretaries. I have a clipping buried somewhere in one of my clipping files about a Hollywood service that answers fan mail for celebrities and sends out "signed" photos. Over the years, many major stars have used secretarial signatures, including Clint Eastwood, Bob Hope, and Frank Sinatra. There was even a book published about President Jimmy Carter's secretary and her Carter signatures.

Autopen

The autopen reproduces an authentic signature from a template. Politicians began using them at least as far back as President John F. Kennedy who, if I recall correctly, was reported to have had six distinctly different autopen signatures. Other celebrities from Hollywood to NASA began picking them up as well. The way to detect autopen signatures is to compare different examples. They should be almost precisely alike. Not "precisely" because there can be some slight variations in wobble of the stylus, ink consistency, that sort of thing. But if you superimpose one over the other, the match should be obvious.

Rubber Stamp Signatures

Some autographs are generated with a rubber stamp reproducing the celebrity's signature and using it. It's too easily detected and is falling into disuse.

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