Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper
I've seen this line repeated many times here and elsewhere. While this may be technically true, it is a bit deceptive.
You can often ascertain authenticity with an extremely high level of accuracy on items that were not signed in front of you.
Examples include signatures on official documents, signed items with lengthy inscriptions or dedications, etc., etc. I could go on, but looking at the whole picture, a knowledgeable collector can often arrive at an assessment that is highly accurate.
Of course, part of the "whole picture" is a realistic assessment of the risk level of the autograph. For a Babe Ruth item, virtually any type of deception is possible and highly skilled forgers have been pecking away for generations. For items of significant lower value, highly skilled fakes and elaborate deceptions becomes far less likely.
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Steve,
I agree 100% with everything you say here. My quote is aimed at people who need that black and white answer. As you stated, you can get close to absolutely certain about an autograph's authenticity based upon the preponderance of evidence, including provenance, medium, letter formation,historical context, etc, but even legal documents can be forged, notaries can be bribed, etc. Because of this, the statement is true, but isn't really the end all be all in the world of autographs.
Mark