mighty bombjack
09-28-2012, 08:27 PM
Bear with me through this story of a collector's journey of learning.
I collect HOF autographs, and one of my saved searches on eBay came up with this envelope sent by former US Senator (and arguably least deserving member of the baseball HOF) Morgan Bulkeley
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110955232822?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Now, I knew nothing of the practice of "franking," which allows certain govt employees the right to use their signature as postage. In learning about that, I saw some examples of hand-signed postage, but I saw many more facsimiles. However, I found no facsimiles as old as this one.
I contacted the seller and told him that I wanted a Bulkeley signature, but that I feared this was facsimile. He ignored my first inquiry, but closer to the ending I sent another saying that I was sure to return this to him if I deemed it a facsimile, so please tell me if you think it is such. He responded that he believed it to be hand-signed because the name showed skips under magnification, while the marking in the upper left did not. I bid accordingly and won for the crazy price of 34 dollars. That pretty much told me what I needed to know, but I was holding out hope (against hope) because the auction had only had 20 total page views and one other bidder. Furthermore, I figured that at this price, I would keep the piece regardless.
Well, I received it today and, what should be to no one's surprise, I could see that it is indeed a facsimile in about 5 seconds. The name is not only in exactly the same shiny color as the Senate marking on the upper left, but it is raised to the touch and is synthetically bumpy. My first thought was to return it, because it is so clearly facsimile that I was angry that the seller tried to say otherwise.
However, I did some quick research on the addressee and quickly discovered that he was a civil war officer that just so happens to be my distant cousin. His name and address are also clearly written in Bulkeley's hand in what is unmistakable fountain pen ink. We have had a discussion of what constitutes an autograph on these very boards, and as I understand it, this is indeed Bulkeley's "autograph," even if it isn't his signature. I will still be looking for one of those, I just won't expect to get it for 35 dollars shipped.
Just felt like sharing.
I collect HOF autographs, and one of my saved searches on eBay came up with this envelope sent by former US Senator (and arguably least deserving member of the baseball HOF) Morgan Bulkeley
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110955232822?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Now, I knew nothing of the practice of "franking," which allows certain govt employees the right to use their signature as postage. In learning about that, I saw some examples of hand-signed postage, but I saw many more facsimiles. However, I found no facsimiles as old as this one.
I contacted the seller and told him that I wanted a Bulkeley signature, but that I feared this was facsimile. He ignored my first inquiry, but closer to the ending I sent another saying that I was sure to return this to him if I deemed it a facsimile, so please tell me if you think it is such. He responded that he believed it to be hand-signed because the name showed skips under magnification, while the marking in the upper left did not. I bid accordingly and won for the crazy price of 34 dollars. That pretty much told me what I needed to know, but I was holding out hope (against hope) because the auction had only had 20 total page views and one other bidder. Furthermore, I figured that at this price, I would keep the piece regardless.
Well, I received it today and, what should be to no one's surprise, I could see that it is indeed a facsimile in about 5 seconds. The name is not only in exactly the same shiny color as the Senate marking on the upper left, but it is raised to the touch and is synthetically bumpy. My first thought was to return it, because it is so clearly facsimile that I was angry that the seller tried to say otherwise.
However, I did some quick research on the addressee and quickly discovered that he was a civil war officer that just so happens to be my distant cousin. His name and address are also clearly written in Bulkeley's hand in what is unmistakable fountain pen ink. We have had a discussion of what constitutes an autograph on these very boards, and as I understand it, this is indeed Bulkeley's "autograph," even if it isn't his signature. I will still be looking for one of those, I just won't expect to get it for 35 dollars shipped.
Just felt like sharing.