Fake and non-genuine autographs are a fact of collecting. Some are crude, some are convincing, and some are not forgeries at all but printed or machine-made signatures sold as the real thing. You do not need to be an expert to protect yourself, but you do need to know the warning signs and to build a few good habits.
One honest caveat first: no guide can make you certain about a particular signature. This page will help you spot red flags and make better choices. For an opinion on a specific item, use a reputable third-party authentication service, which we cover in authentication explained.
Red flag 1: the price is too good
A signature from a famous person for far less than similar pieces usually sell for is the most common warning sign. Sellers who know what they have price accordingly. If a deal feels too good to be true, ask yourself why the seller would let it go cheaply. The reason may be that it is not genuine.
Cheap does not always mean fake, and expensive does not always mean real. But an unusually low price should make you slow down, not speed up.
Red flag 2: a "COA" from a company you cannot verify
A certificate of authenticity is only as trustworthy as whoever issued it. Be careful with:
- A card or certificate printed by the seller themselves
- Paperwork from a company you cannot find any independent record of
- A "lifetime guarantee" with no information on who stands behind it
- A certificate that does not identify the exact item, or has no way to look it up
Search for the company independently and see what collectors say. A real authentication service lets you check a certificate against its records. Read more in authentication explained.
Red flag 3: the signature does not match known examples
The strongest tool you have is comparison. Look at several confirmed examples of the signer's autograph, ideally from the same period, and compare:
- Letter shapes. How do they form capital letters and loops? Where do the strokes start and end?
- Proportions. The relative height and width of letters, and how large the signature is overall.
- Slant and baseline. Does the signature climb, drop or stay level in the same way?
- Connections. Do letters join the way they do in known examples, or are they separated?
- Variation. Real signatures vary somewhat, and many signers' autographs change over the years. Look at examples from the same era.
Be careful not to rely on a single comparison. Signatures change with age, health, speed and the surface they are signed on, so you need several examples.
Red flag 4: how the ink flows
A real signature is written quickly and confidently. Forgeries are often drawn slowly, which can show up as:
- Shaky or hesitant lines where the forger paused to check their work
- Blobs at the start or end of strokes where a pen rested
- Uneven pressure that does not match how the rest of the signature was written
- Overly neat or "perfect" lettering compared with natural signatures
- Tracing, where lines look uniformly thick and the movement looks stiff
You often need magnification to see this. Do not rely on your impression at normal size.
Red flag 5: printed, autopen or secretarial signatures
Not every "signature" is a forgery. Some are real in the sense that someone made them, but they are not hand-signed by the person:
- Preprints: A signature printed or stamped onto the item. Look closely for the dot pattern of a printed image, or for ink that sits flat with no pen pressure. If two items have signatures that look identical down to the last stroke, at least one is probably not hand-signed.
- Autopen: A machine that reproduces a signature with a pen, producing very consistent results. Perfectly repeated signatures are a clue.
- Secretarial signatures: A staff member signs on behalf of someone, sometimes with permission. These are common with certain public figures and can look quite different from the person's own hand.
If you cannot tell whether an item is hand-signed, that is a reason to ask or to get an opinion.
Red flag 6: the item or setup does not make sense
Context matters:
- Wrong period. An item that did not exist when the person was active, or a photo from after the signer stopped signing.
- A mismatched story. The seller's explanation of how they got it does not hold together, or they cannot say anything about it.
- Unusual items for the signer. Not everyone signs everything. Do some research on what a signer was known to sign.
- Too many of the same piece. A seller with a large number of identical items from a signer who rarely signed.
- Stock photos. A listing that shows an image of an item that is not the one you will get.
Build the habit: use exemplars
An exemplar is a confirmed genuine autograph of a particular signer, used as a reference. Collecting and studying exemplars is the single best way to train your eye. Good sources are items you watched being signed yourself, items from reputable authentication records and well-documented sales. Over time you will recognize the way a signer writes, and your instincts will get sharper.
Buy from people who stand behind what they sell
How you buy matters as much as what you buy.
- Choose sellers with a track record. The club keeps a list of RACC Trusted sellers, which is a sensible place to begin.
- Ask questions. Where did the item come from? Was it signed in person? Is there a photo of the signing?
- Read the return policy before you buy, and make sure it covers authenticity.
- Prefer pieces with reputable third-party authentication, and verify the certificate directly with the issuing company.
- Keep proof of purchase, and photos of the item when it arrives.
What to do if you suspect a fake
- Stop and do not resell it. Passing along something you think is not genuine hurts the next collector.
- Gather what you have: photos, the listing, messages and payment records.
- Contact the seller and ask for a refund under their stated policy.
- Get a second opinion from a third-party authentication service if you want one.
- Use your payment provider's dispute process if the seller does not respond, within the time limits they set.
A short checklist before you buy
- Is the price in line with the market, or unusually low?
- Do I know who stands behind the certificate, and can I verify it?
- Have I compared this signature with several known examples?
- Does the ink flow look natural at high magnification?
- Could it be printed, autopen or secretarial?
- Do I trust the seller, and do they stand behind a return policy?
If you cannot answer yes to these, wait. There will always be another piece.
