Glossary

Every term that shows up when you start digging into autograph authentication, explained in plain English without the dealer jargon.

Autograph: A handwritten signature, ideally signed in person by the named individual. In collector terms, the word implies the real signature of a notable person, distinct from a generic signed receipt.
Autopen: A mechanical device that holds a real pen and reproduces a signature with high precision. Public figures use them for mass correspondence. Autopen items are not forgeries (the signature is the person's), but they're worth a small fraction of a real autograph because they're produced in volume by a machine.
Secretarial signature: A signature applied by an assistant on behalf of the named person. Common historically for politicians, executives, and celebrities. Not a criminal forgery (the substitution was authorized) but also not the real autograph, and valued at a steep discount.
PSA / PSA/DNA: Professional Sports Authenticator. The most recognized third-party autograph authenticator in sports memorabilia. PSA/DNA is their autograph and signature division. Their stamp meaningfully increases resale value.
JSA: James Spence Authentication. Major third-party authenticator, particularly strong in entertainment, music, historical figures, and Hall of Fame sports. Equivalent recognition to PSA across most categories.
Beckett (BAS): Beckett Authentication Services. Strong in modern sports cards and current player autographs. Recognized at the same tier as PSA and JSA for most collectibles.
COA (Certificate of Authenticity): A document stating that an item is authentic. Only as valuable as the issuer. A COA from PSA, JSA, or Beckett carries weight. A COA from an unknown issuer is essentially decorative, and is sometimes used by bad actors to lend legitimacy to fakes.
LOA (Letter of Authenticity): Similar to a COA: a written statement of authenticity. Tier matters more than name. From a major authenticator: meaningful. From a random reseller: not meaningful.
Exemplar: A confirmed authentic signature of a person, used as a comparison reference when authenticating new items. Professional authenticators maintain large databases of exemplars per signer, often by era because most signatures evolve over time.
Provenance: The documented chain of ownership and history of an item. Strong provenance ("my grandfather got this signed in 1962, here's a photo of the signing") meaningfully increases authentication confidence and resale value.
Cut signature: A signature cut from a larger document, letter, or autograph book. Authentic, but worth less than the same signature on a contextual item (photo, memorabilia, full letter).
Inscription: Additional handwriting accompanying a signature, often a personalization ("To John, best wishes, [signer]"). Personalizations generally reduce resale value because they tie the item to one person. Generic inscriptions like quotes or song lyrics often increase value.
In-person (IP) signature: Signed directly in front of the witness. The highest-confidence provenance type. IP signatures usually trade at a premium because there's no chain of custody to question.
TTM (through the mail): Autograph obtained by mailing an item to the signer with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Common with athletes and authors. Authentic if done correctly, but provenance is harder to prove than IP.
Pre-printed signature: A signature reproduced as part of the printing process, not actually signed by hand. Common on team-issued postcards, fan club photos, and some memorabilia. Looks like an autograph at a glance. Magnification reveals it as a printed image.
Stamp signature: A signature applied with a rubber stamp. Most common with high-volume signers in historical contexts. Worth essentially nothing as collectible.
Forensic comparison: The systematic comparison of a questioned signature against confirmed exemplars, focusing on stroke order, pen pressure, letter formation, spacing, and slant. The methodology professional authenticators use.

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