Autograph collectors should have serious interest in studying signatures because authenticity is often based on signatures that have consistency. Signatures that are identical may indicate the use of a rubber stamp or autopen. Autograph collectors who are experienced know that signatures from the same person can vary by a small degree, even when multiple signatures are written on the same document.
Analysis of signatures considers a variety of factors. The first consideration is whether the signature resembles a general pattern of thecelebritys known autograph. Extreme variations of a signature compared with known examples, particularly when it involves multiple letters, is a strong indication that the signature under study is not authentic. Sometimes a variation in spelling is a clear indicator as to a forgery, such as an official NASA photograph is signed “Neal Armstrong” rather than “Neil Armstrong”.
One of then most revealing things of a signature are the pressure points where the ink is thick and dark. Pressure points often do not vary as much as the general pattern of a signature. For example, even though the loop of a letter can vary in size from one example to another, the method of construction can be similar. Pressure points of a signature are most obvious with an ink pen, but virtually impossible to detect with a marker pen or pencil. For this reason, many serious autograph collectors prefer signatures with ink pens.
Signature studies are based on education, experience and proper analysis. A thorough signature study that considers many forms an individual’s signature can provide a valuable basis for analysis on many different levels.
