Articles
Learn the key signs collectors and authenticators look for when assessing a signature, including letter formation, flow, spacing, provenance and comparison with known genuine examples.
A step-by-step look at how an autograph is assessed, from signature comparison and provenance research through to technology-assisted analysis and the final authentication opinion.
Find out when high-quality photos can be enough for authentication, what images are needed and where the limitations of photo-based assessment begin.
Understand how autopen machines reproduce signatures, why they are used and how collectors can distinguish them from genuinely hand-signed autographs.
Common warning signs such as unnatural flow, copying, incorrect era style, dubious provenance and suspicious COAs.
Learn what to look for in a credible Certificate of Authenticity, including the issuer, unique certification numbers, item identification and independent verification.
Practical buyer guidance for eBay, auctions, marketplaces, dealers and private sales.
Age, fame, rushed signing, simplified touring signatures, health, surfaces, pens and era differences.
What good provenance looks like, what weak provenance looks like, and how it should be weighed against the signature itself.
Particularly relevant to your expertise; albums, guitars, posters, concert material, era-specific signatures and touring signatures.
Multiple signatures, changing line-ups, signatures added at different times and why each autograph must be assessed individually.
A very useful collector guide explaining the different types of reproduced signatures.