Secretarial

A secretarial autograph is a signature that was signed by a secretary, assistant, or other proxy on behalf of a celebrity, athlete, or public figure. Secretarial signatures are NOT authentic autographs and have no collector value.

Secretarial signatures have been common throughout history, particularly for presidents, astronauts, and entertainers who receive overwhelming volumes of fan mail. Rather than signing every request personally, some public figures designate assistants to sign on their behalf.

Identifying secretarial signatures can be challenging because good secretaries practice mimicking the principal's handwriting. However, there are often subtle differences in pen pressure, letter formation, flow, and overall "feel" compared to genuine examples.

Some well-documented secretarial signatures include those of certain U.S. presidents (many presidential autopen-signed items are actually secretarial), classic Hollywood actors, and retired athletes. Collector communities maintain databases of known secretarial patterns for popular signers.

To protect yourself from secretarial autographs, always seek authentication from PSA, JSA, or Beckett before purchasing unsigned or privately authenticated items. These companies have expertise in identifying secretarial patterns and will reject secretarial signatures during the authentication process.

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