How to Spot a Fake Autograph: 12 Steps

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Do you want to know if that article autographed by one of your favorites, famous all over the world, is it true? Here are some tips to make sure that the autograph is as authentic as it is shocking.

However, please be aware that this is a guide only, not hard and effective rules. It takes years of experience to be able to discern true from false, so reading these simple guidelines won't make you an expert at once. If in doubt, consult someone who knows at least one agent accredited with companies such as AFTAI, PADA or UACC. You can get information about them on their respective websites.

Steps

Step 1. Turn the autograph over

The best way to compare a signature is to turn it upside down. In this way, your mind does not read it and, therefore, you can look more objectively at the telltale clues and slight differences that can expose the false.

Step 2. Beware of printed signatures

Fake autographs are often mechanically reproduced. Run your thumb over the signature, especially the outline. If it is flat, then it is likely that the autograph is a facsimile.

• Alternatively, if you can feel the consistency of the ink on the top of the page, then know that it was added later, but it may still have been printed or imprinted.

  

• Also, keep in mind that this technique does not work on sports t-shirt fabrics, because they absorb the ink without leaving a relief layer.

  

Step 3. Look carefully at the ink

Use a magnifying glass and look for visible clues.

• With the printed signatures, all the ink is applied at the same time and pressed to the edges of the rubber. Using a magnifying glass, you will be able to see if the ink is more on the edges of the lines than in the center.

  

• Look for machine-printed autographs that can give an artificially "smooth" effect.

  

• Check the ink color. If you have established that the paper is likely to be authentic, look at the ink. If it's dark brown, like dried blood, it may have oxidized. Some old types of ink were made with iron oxide. If it is a dark brown that fades to yellow towards the edges, know that there were inks made of hard mess dissolved in a mixture of water and egg yolk. But if so, it means that it is a very old autograph. Any type of paper used for these inks will surely be tissue paper, since nothing else existed at the time.

  

• If the name was written in pen, the nib will surely have cut the wet ink producing tunnels and bridges, visible with the magnifying glass. However, the autographs may have been duplicated with the autopenna: a machine that uses a mechanical arm to drag a pen along a plastic or metal - or stencil - signature model. The next step will give you further insights.

  

Step 4. Look for telltale signs released by a car

When you write your name, you sign in one continuous motion. Also, the pen moves even before you start writing, as you move across the page.

• The autopenna, on the other hand, goes down making a point and ends abruptly leaving another point. You can observe the tracks using the magnifying glass.
• If the signature appears artificially "wobbly", this effect may be due to the vibrations of the autopen device.
• Look for the straight lines reproduced by the machine - especially if they have been interrupted by its accidental rocking, because they can reveal where the autopen has slipped.
• Look for inconsistencies. Are the traits hesitant? In your opinion, did the pen rise from the paper? Some people do, but it's where the stretch stops that can tell if it's a fake.

Step 5. Hold the autograph against the light

• If the signature ink seems too light or if it seems that the same pressure has been applied all over, then it is probably a fake.

  

• Another trick is to ask the celebrity to sign a negative of the photo and then reproduce it - you'll get a white signature. However, this technique was used well before digital photography and is not found in current images. If the color of the signature looks silver on the photo, then chances are it was printed or maybe they just used silver ink!
• If it's a torn paper, but the signature is A Lincoln, it's likely a fake.
• Look for the lines of the laid paper. These lines are made of flax or dehydrated vegetable fibers. Laid paper was common in the 18th century.

Step 6. Think about the quantities

A forger can produce 30 or 40 fake David Beckham autographs. But Beckham would never sign so many. In fact, he doesn't sign more than one at a time for fear of them being sold. As a result, honest retailers probably don't have more than one signature per month to sell.

• Also remember that celebrities and other popular characters often sign someone's autograph, intended for use by the person named in the dedication.

  

Step 7. Beware of private auctions or any privacy requests from the seller - this is often a ploy to hide the sale

In fact, there is no legitimate reason for the buyer to establish a privacy relationship with the buyer. A reputable seller will be able to guarantee the provenance of the signatures he sells along with the relevant documentation. An honest deal should offer a lifetime guarantee. Furthermore, reliable sellers have no problem telling their story, past business, giving references and skills.

Step 8. Think about how, when and why it was signed

If an autograph dated before 1960 was signed in marker, then it is fake. The markers did not exist before that date and, therefore, a signature from that period should have been written with ink for the pen.

Step 9. Ask yourself:

is it the signature of the person who actually signed the autograph? For example, if you were the President of the United States, why should you sign a card? There are tens of thousands of certificates of appointment or office for military service, examples of paper money, postal orders and land concessions signed after 1930 which claim to be authentic, but are not.

There are exceptions. There was a case, highlighted on the British television channel Antiques Roadshow, in which several World War II silver-certified dollar bills were signed by various heads of state, political officials and military dignitaries

Step 10. Go to a trusted authentication source

Don't be discouraged, there are examples of documents mentioned above that are original. However, it would not be a bad idea to seek professional advice - and make sure it is a reputable and reputable source.

• Authentication services used to be reliable, but some of them have come under severe scrutiny in recent years. The PSA / DNA company, for example, has been blocked for authenticating fake and printed signatures. Check out the many examples on the net.

  

Step 11. Also beware of the many companies that have sprung up claiming to be competent in this field, but that show no evidence of their experience

These companies often ask for very little money to authenticate a document which normally requires hours of scrutiny by a real expert.

• Also, don't automatically trust a seller just because they show you their Autograph Collectors Club (UACC) membership or a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). UACC membership can be purchased and COA documents can be falsified by anyone with a computer. However, to become a licensed UACC agent, it is necessary to offer references and have been a member of the association for at least 3 years.

  

Step 12. Look for any additional text that can help authenticate the signature or autograph

But if it's Mark Twain writing that he flew a jet, something is wrong.

Advice

• Look for a photo of the real signature and compare it to the one you own.
• Often the fakes were written by only one person. They have equal sizes, evenly distributed spacing and sometimes the same way of proceeding.
• The more signatures on an article, the more errors there are to be detected. Put on a sports shirt with 10 fake signatures of one team compared to another that bears 10 real signatures. It will be easy to recognize the fake ones.
• The map of the historical period, as well as any other written present, can give important clues about the age of the autograph. The parchment has been used since 1000 BC. until the nineteenth century, without including archival documents. It has been replaced by wool, cotton or linen fibers.
• Following the death of President Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy relied on autopen to sign her responses to the thousands of condolence letters she had received.
• The best way to make sure a signature is authentic is to be present at the time it is written. When writing to a celebrity for their autograph, don't assume they'll sign it themselves. In many cases, an assistant will do it for you. The best way to prevent this from happening, unfortunately, is to stand there and testify that the signature was done directly by the person.
• According to the great document expert and auctioneer, Wes Cowan, “Even the best experts can be fooled. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion”- Antiques Roadshow.
• Ask yourself: Did the secretary sign it? Here, perhaps it is better to consult a trusted expert.
• If an autograph looks like a really good deal to us, then it probably won't be true.