Dating Satchel Paige Signature

[Topnotchsy]

Hey all,

I'd definitely appreciate some help from the amazing wealth of autograph and Negro league experts here.

I've been trying to pick up an early Satchel Paige autograph from his time in the Negro Leagues.

In trying to date his signature the first thing I've picked up on is that it seems like he signed "Satchell" with 2 "L"s until right around when he made the Majors and then switched to Satchel (with 1 L). Can anyone confirm this and confirm that this was a 1 time change that was permanent?

Also, are there any other things to look for?

Thanks in advance!

[Scott Garner]

Hey all,

I'd definitely appreciate some help from the amazing wealth of autograph and Negro league experts here.

I've been trying to pick up an early Satchel Paige autograph from his time in the Negro Leagues.

In trying to date his signature the first thing I've picked up on is that it seems like he signed "Satchell" with 2 "L"s until right around when he made the Majors and then switched to Satchel (with 1 L). Can anyone confirm this and confirm that this was a 1 time change that was permanent?

Also, are there any other things to look for?

Thanks in advance!

Jeff,
From what I know, that is correct about the "Double L" vs. the "Single L" in Satchel.
Here is an example that I own of Satchel's negro league era sig exhibiting the "Double L" variation.

[71buc]

I'm far from an expert on any autograph. However, I can tell you my vintage Negro League Paige autographed photograph is personalized and dated 1941. He signed that one Satchell Paige. I have only seen one other example of the same photo signed and dated. It was dated 1944 and also signed with two Ls. There are a number of the single L variety out there. However the LL versions seem much more difficult to find. For what its worth I have never seen a photo of him wearing an Indian or Browns uniform signed with two Ls. Conversely the few signed vintage photos of him wearing a Negro League uniform I have seen all have two Ls.

[RelicSports]

I used to own the attached 1930's signed photo of Paige with Bill Robinson...but the sig is VERY light

[71buc]

Awesome photo! I see it's signed with two Ls. Here is mine. Does anyone else have examples to share?

[Topnotchsy]

I was able to pick up this 1948 Indians (partial) World Series team signed baseball which has Paige with 2 L's. Listings on eBay confirm that by 1949 he was using just 1 L, so this may be as late as it gets for the 2 L Paige signatures.

Pretty excited about this piece because of the strong, early Paige signature, and the place this has in the integration. First AL team to have Negro League players, first Negro League players to win a World Series, and an early Paige auto.

Negatives are that it does not have Larry Doby, it's only partially signed (around 11 sigs) and the Joe Gordon sig was deemed a clubhouse (and that's the one next to Paige) but those helped keep the price very reasonable.