Excerpt from the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies

Brian Kathenes, ISA CAPP wrote an interesting article for the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies entitled Autographs, Manusripts, and Historical Documents: How to Identify Common Faakes, Forgeries and Facsimiles.

Brian as his bio indicates has appraised a wide variety of property, from expert witness testimony of the Nixon Watergate papers to the Batmobile.

Brian Kathenes is the Managing Partner of National Appraisal Consultants, a firm specializing in appraisal practice business development and challenging appraisal engagements. Brian is the past Chairman of the ISA Ethics Committee, and has served as an expert witness on: Richard Nixon versus the United States of America -- The Watergate Presidential Papers Trial. Kathenes has been the keynote speaker at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Brian was the on-air appraiser and science fiction & technology consultant for Discovery Channel’s POP NATION: America’s Coolest Stuff, and is the co-author of Betcha Didn’t Know That – 101 Antique and Collectibles Trivia Tips That Could Make You Rich Famous and the Hit of The Party. He has appraised the Batmobile, the Back to the Future Car, and memorabilia from the blockbuster movie Titanic, including the giant ship model. He has appraised items that have been on the Moon, and even appraised (and played) Elvis’ guitar.

To order the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies with the full article by Brian Kathenes, click HERE.

Tips for Identifying Non-genuine Printed Signatures

These non-genuine signatures in books, letters, notes, and cards are printed with the same ink used to print the text of the letter, the book, or the note.

This printer’s ink is fairly thick and is pressed or rolled onto the page using a variety of printing techniques. Since the ink used to print the signature is the same as the text ink, the characteristics of the printed text and the signature will be the same.

Due to the viscosity of the ink and the speed of printing, printer’s ink will leave small ink voids within most signatures. The ink color of the signature will be identical to the printed text and the texture will also be the same.
Characteristics of printed signatures on letters, documents, and books can be readily identified by the following characteristics:

• ink color in the signature is identical to the ink color of the text printing
• intensity of the ink is uniform throughout the signature.
• signature and the type or printing has a "flat" look -- it lacks depth and character.
• signature does not ‘flow’ like a handwritten signature.

Engravings with Signatures

Another common version of a non-genuine signature is found with-in the medium of engravings. Most engravings found in any biographical or historical reference will contain a facsimile signature below the engraved portrait image. Only in very rare exceptions will you find a genuine signature below any of these engravings.

19th century engravings were a popular and common way of illu-strating books. Quality engravings are quite collectible and in most cases fairly common. Many engravings of notables have been removed from biographical references such as Appletons' Cyclopedia of American Biogra-phy. Usually a signature appears below the image.

Upon close inspection - a 10 power loupe is sufficient - the appraiser will spot the engraved lines in the widest areas of the "signature." These lines are imprints of the scores in the plate which held the ink as the plate was inked and an impression made. A genuine signature will not produce a pattern as seen in an engraved image or engraved signature.