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ickey Mantle’s baseball, a celebrity-signed photograph, the copy of the tracing paper. Tracings are easier to detect. You can sometimes
Declaration of Independence from your relative’s attic: the value of see evidence of slow, unnaturally deliberate handwriting in
Meach of these items lies in its authenticity. Forgers go to great lengths shaky letters and pen lifts between each character. You may see
to dupe collectors, but unfortunately, several other roadblocks are not inherently retouching or one signature that compares too closely to
sneaky. Collectors of written materials need to be extra cautious – there is a another. When signing documents, few genuine signatures are
wealth of information in the tiny details of a signature, and knowing what to identical. The freehand method, when done well, has fewer
look out for can protect you from forgers and yourself. telltales. The collector should start by assuming that all
signatures or handwritten items are fake until multiple pieces
Forgery of evidence say otherwise. You are looking for the correct style,
the right tools, and an excellent backstory. Forgers may use
In the 1990s and early 2000s, the FBI investigated that forged sports some of these items against you (such as the period-appropriate
memorabilia was an over $100 million market, leading to Operation Bullpen, ink in Operation Bullpen), but rarely can they hit all the
an undercover sting that brought down 18 forgery rings. Author Kevin Nelson ight notes.
wrote that the forgers were well-trained and well-read; Babe Ruth signatures
were done with vintage pens and period-appropriate ink on baseballs that were
aged with shellac for color then left in a bag of dog food for that musty,
old-stuff smell. The conspirators practiced and specialized in specific signatures.
According to the FBI, one forger joked to an undercover agent that Mickey
Mantle still had one arm outside the grave signing autographs. The sports and
celebrity memorabilia markets can rake in upwards of a billion dollars annually,
and even though Operation Bullpen was a heavy blow and led to dozens of
convictions, the market is too enticing for a new crop of forgers not to try
again. Knowledge, a magnifying glass, and when needed, a trusty expert are your
best defenses.

The Declaration of Independence boasts of a plethora of signatures
from some of America’s most famous men, but whose do you think is
the most valuable? The podcast Radiolab conducted in an investiga-
tion and the winner is Button Gwinnett! Surprised? Gwinnett’s
obscurity increased the value of his signature. He only has 51 docu-
mented signature examples and was killed in a duel in 1777.
photo: Andrea Izzotti/ Shutterstock and Reader’s Digest

Provenance

Your first step should be to dig into a piece’s provenance.
George Washington is one of the most often-forged signatures, to the point where there are Ideally, look for items that come from a reputable dealer or
several known and documented forgers who have mimicked his hand. Robert Spring, whose
work is seen here, was one such scam artist and his notoriety makes his examples valuable in have a good (and hopefully, complete) story behind how they
their own right. The Raab Collection sold a document of his for $2,000. Even good forgers were obtained. The Raab Collection offers an example
have tells, and experts can point out that Spring used a similar format for all of his letters. regarding the dangers of missing details: a young woman at a
Beatles concert gave their manager, Neil Aspinall, a program
photo: The Society of Cincinnati and Forbes Magazine
for the band to sign. She saw him go into the band’s dressing
room and return ten minutes later with their signatures.
Freehand Forgery Decent provenance of a real concert signature, right? What she
didn’t see, however, was that Aspinall had expertly forged the
No matter the age of your handwritten materials, the most common method Beatles’ signatures behind closed doors, reinforcing that the
of forgery to be cautious of is the freehand method, followed by tracing using best signatures are always those you saw happen!

24 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles