A CLASSIC Einstein signature
Below classic Albert Einstein
signature (likely an earlier example from the 1920's or 1930's):
ACTUAL SIZE (More or Less at 1920x1200
resolution)
It is difficult, on a web page to demonstrate the
actual size of "anything" (since screen resolutions vary greatly from one
computer to another). But "on my computer", with my resolution
(1920x1200), the image above is pretty close to what the actual signature looks
like. I have used Photoshop to enhance it a bit (lighten it up, adjust
some contract so it is easier to see on a web page).
Common Signature Authentication Tips
Regardless of whether your
authenticating Einstein's signature or any other valuable, and hence potentially
forged signature, there are some well know techniques used by specialists to
identify suspect signatures. Among these are:
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A Careless Signature (is
"good").
It may seem obvious, but when a signature is authentic, it is usually "less
than perfect". There is typically no slow or deliberate attempt by the
celebrity to carefully write his name. Hence, whenever an autograph
appears to be carefully and deliberately written, it should raise a warning
flag. While there are typically a number of specific
characteristics which are associated with each celebrity signature, most
autograph experts will not even begin to look at those if the signature
appears to be a slow, carefully written sample. You might notice that
when the pen moves quickly, the "weight" of the pen (or width of the ink)
will change. This may occur as the pen is first coming down to the
paper, or at the very end of the signature. It might also occur
throughout parts of the signature is the hand is moving quickly while
signing. These are clues that the signature was written without regard
to "how it looked". Typically, anyone signing there name will not care
that much about whether it looks much like the last one they signed.
It just won't matter to them.
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The Paper and the Ink.
Believe it or not, rookie forgers will sometimes use the wrong paper
(meaning newer paper that is not consistent with the time period in which
the celebrity lived), or they may use a pen or ink they did not yet exist.
Image a forger signing "A. Einstein" with a "Sharpie" pen that had not been
invented until years after Einstein's death. Well, it's been tried with
a number of prominent celebrities of an "earlier era". While
unrelated to the signature itself, dumb forgers have printed so-called
"type-written" letter by Einstein using a "laser printer". Once
you notice something like that, you don't even need to look at the
signature, since the "laser printer" had not yet been invented.
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STYLE (Size, Tilt, and Weight).
Weight of fakes is typically heavier.
Specific Einstein Traits
There are some common traits with
Einstein's signature that can make it difficult to forge. Among them,
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The Size and Weight of the
signature.
This is something that is very consistent with any authentic
Einstein signature. He had a tendency to "write small".
This can be seen in a number of his hand written letters as well as his
early scientific manuscripts. If you come across an Einstein
signature that is what the rest of us might consider "large" or even
"normal size" cursive, it should be somewhat suspect.
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The delicate size and
weight of the signature.
While the thickness of the ink is certainly a factor of the pen (or
"nib" for fountain pens), it is also clear that Einstein, relative to
others (no pun intended), did not seem to write "heavy". This can
be attributed to a relatively quick hand, especially in his early years.
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It's a difficult "E".
The capital "E" in "Einstein", as with the rest of the signature, should
be freely written without deliberation. You can look at the
first capital "E" in "Einstein" and try to write it for yourself.
Good luck the first 20, 50, or 100 times. It's not that easy.
Try to write it quickly and it will mess with your mind. That's
not to say it isn't possible. There are, unfortunately, some very
good forgers out there who spend a lot of time and effort duplicating
this, but it certainly isn't easy. When the "E" appears to
be freely written without care, and still maintains the fundamental
characteristics of his classic "E", that is a positive sign.
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The Break between the
"i" and the "n".
A large majority of the time, an authentic Einstein signature shows a
small break between the first "i" and first "n". This is due
to the fact that he picked up his pen. Most of the time the "n"
resumes very close to the "i", but rarely touches it. You
will sometimes see what appears to be a continuation from the first "i"
to the "n" but that most usually due to the "luck" of dropping the pen
back down at the exact same point from where it was lifted. Upon
closer inspection, you may see a very slight direction change where the
"i" and the "n" are joined.
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The Break between the
"T" and the "e".
Just like the first common break, we very frequently find that an
authentic Einstein signature shows a small break between the first "T"
and following "e". This is again due to the fact that he
picked up his pen. As with the earlier break, the "e" resumes very
close to the "T", but rarely touches it. Again, you will
sometimes see what appears to be a continuation between the "T" to the
"e" but that most usually due to the "luck" of dropping the pen back
down at the exact same point from where it was lifted. As with the
first break and upon closer inspection, you may see a very slight
direction change where the "T" and the "e" are joined.
- Gregory
Mallon, Einstein's World
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The image above is a classic
example of Albert Einstein's signature. He rarely wrote his first
name when signing, instead using his first initial and last name.
The "A" shown above is more reminiscent of his earlier signatures, where you see
the small fishhook like curve at the bottom left part of the "A".
Later in life, he would typically use a basic "A-frame" initial which had no
hook (basically straight up and down, like an upside-down "V").
The image above is an enlarged
example of Albert Einstein's signature (lightened using Photoshop)
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The image above is an enlarged
example of Albert Einstein's signature (auto-contrast adjusted using Photoshop)
The image above is an enlarged
example of Albert Einstein's signature (lightened using Photoshop)
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