What Is My Autograph Worth?
Four free tools for collectors: screen a signature for warning signs, see what drives the value of a signed letter, document or photograph, decode auction catalogue terms, and follow how signatures were printed, stamped and signed by proxy during the Second World War. The results are generated automatically, using criteria set by a qualified handwriting examiner. For a professional opinion on your own piece, you can contact me directly.
Signature Check
Seven questions a handwriting examiner asks first. Answer what you can see; the reading shows how many warning signs your piece raises.
What Drives Value
The name sets the price range. Five factors decide where your piece sits within it, each worth a share of a 100-point score. Change any answer and watch the score move.
Catalogue Decoder
Dealers, archivists and auction houses describe signed material in shorthand. Type an abbreviation or pick one below.
WWII Signature Timeline
Printed facsimiles, signing machines and new pens changed what a wartime signature can prove. Tap a date to see what it means for collectors today.
How much is my autograph worth?
The value of an autograph depends first on who signed it. Within that range, five things decide the price: what the piece says, its format, its condition, its provenance and when it was signed. Two signatures of the same person can differ greatly in value, so the only reliable answer comes from looking at the specific piece. These are the steps I follow as a collector and handwriting examiner.
1. Is the signature genuine?
Before any question of value, the signature must be in the person’s own hand. During the Second World War, printed facsimiles, staff signatures and signing on someone’s behalf were part of everyday paperwork. Eisenhower’s D-Day Order of the Day was printed in thousands of copies[7], and some German award certificates carry a printed signature of a senior figure beside an original ink countersignature.[10] Secretarial, machine-signed and printed signatures have little autograph value.
2. What format is it?
A letter written and signed in the person’s own hand (ALS) usually ranks above a typewritten letter signed (TLS), a document signed (DS), such as a wartime award certificate, a signed photograph or a signature cut from a page.[5] The Catalogue Decoder above explains each term.
3. What does it say, and what condition is it in?
Content often matters as much as the signature. A routine reply is worth far less than a letter that mentions a historic event or reveals something personal. Condition is judged against what is normal for the period: stains, tears, losses, fading and repairs all lower value.
4. Where has it been?
Provenance is the recorded history of ownership. Letters, receipts, old auction records and notes on the back of a document can all support a piece.[4] Provenance does not prove a signature on its own, but documented provenance adds confidence and often value.
5. What have similar pieces sold for?
Prices realised at established auction houses for comparable pieces, by the same person, in the same format and condition, are the most reliable guide to market value.
Need a professional opinion?
I am Juan García Nicolás, collector and editor of Autographs & Militaria, graphologist and qualified handwriting examiner trained over three years at Ipsigrap. The tools on this page are automatic and based on the criteria I use in my own work. If you need a professional, personal opinion on a signature, letter or historical document, send me clear photographs of the front, the back and a close-up of the signature, its measurements, and any documents about where it came from.
Request a professional opinionFrequently asked questions
Can an online tool tell me the exact price of my autograph?
No. An honest price depends on the specific piece, its authenticity, content, condition and provenance, and on recent auction results for comparable items. The tools on this page show what drives value and where your piece is likely to sit; a price needs the item to be examined.
How can I tell if an autograph is real?
No single sign proves a signature genuine. An examiner looks at a coherent set of features together: the flow and pressure of the line, the letterforms compared with verified examples of the same period, the ink and paper, and the history of the piece. The Signature Check above is a first screening, not an authentication.
What is an autopen signature?
An autopen is a machine that reproduces a stored signature with a real pen. The first commercially successful model was developed in the early 1940s, and after the Second World War several US presidents used autopens for routine letters and photographs. Autopen signatures look like ink but have little autograph value.
Are WWII German award documents signed by hand?
Some are and some are not. Many were signed in ink by the awarding officer, while others carry a printed facsimile signature of a senior figure together with an original countersignature by a general. Knowing which signature is printed and which is in ink is essential to judging the piece.
What is a secretarial signature?
A secretarial signature is written by a member of staff on the person’s behalf, often on routine replies and signed photographs. It is not regarded as a genuine signature of the person and has little autograph value.
What do ALS, TLS and DS mean?
ALS means autograph letter signed: a letter in the hand of the author and signed by them. TLS means typewritten letter signed. DS means document signed: a document written by another person but signed by the author.
Does a certificate of authenticity prove a signature is genuine?
A certificate of authenticity (COA) is an opinion. It is only as good as the expertise and reputation of whoever issued it, so check who signed it and whether they explain their reasoning.
Are the results of these tools an expert opinion?
No. The results are generated automatically from your answers, using criteria set by a qualified handwriting examiner. They help you understand your piece, but a professional opinion requires the piece itself to be examined. For that, you can contact me directly.
How do I request a professional opinion?
Use the contact form and send clear photographs of the front, the back and a close-up of the signature, the measurements of the piece, and any letters, receipts or auction records that show where it came from.
Historical Responsibility Notice
Material from the Second World War, including documents of the National Socialist period, is presented here strictly as historical artefacts for collecting, conservation, education and research. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse or glorify any ideology, regime or organisation referred to.
References & Further Reading
The tools on this page give automatic, educational results based on criteria set by a qualified handwriting examiner. They are not an expert opinion, an authentication or a formal valuation, and should not be quoted as such. For a professional opinion, please use the contact form.