OK.
So here is the full story. About 15 years ago I bought this check off Ebay just as it is for $1500. No authentication. At the time, it was a good price but not a steal.
I held onto it for a couple of years and sent it to a major auction house with some other items for consignment. They sent the check back to me and said it did not pass authentication. It would have been PSA/DNA at that time with Steve Grad the likely authenticator as I think Jimmy Spence had already left to form JSA.
I certainly thought it was a perfect example as the opinions expressed here but I would not try and sell it since they sent it back and I did not want to spend another $250 which was the Ruth fee at the time to get the same result.
It was way too late to try and get my money back from the seller so I chalked it up to a bad beat down.
I did not think much more about it but still had it in a box here at my home.
Then a few days ago I was looking at the Heritage Auction and saw a check up for auction that appeared to be a mirror of this check with the same bank and same person signing the front. I compared the two closely and although the handwriting on the check looks a little different, mine was a year later based on the dating than the one in Heritage so depending on age etc., possibly the signer's writing was a little different.
So, I got to thinking maybe mine was indeed good after all. Hence, I put it up here for some opinions which I respect.
I did not want to declare the facts as I wanted opinions based on the Ruth signature, not the story. I was encouraged by the responses with no one who opined it was not authentic.
As a final test, I submitted it to Beckett for the online opinion for $10. They quickly opined "Not likely to pass full authentication." Of course you get no reason, just Yes/No.
With a $350 fee for Ruth, it just does not make sense to submit it for full authentication.
There must be a tell that we are all missing and they immediately picked up on.
If indeed this is a forgery, it is the best one I have ever seen.
So there is the "whole story."
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