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I'm close friends with Senator McCain's Press Assistant in the Washington, DC office. In summer 2009, he got me several copies of McCain's autograph, one personalized, and I am questioning their legitimacy. I met McCain the same summer but he didn't have time to sign anything. I asked my friend, and a few days later, I came by the office again and picked up the autographs.
They don't look like other signed McCain docs. on this sight, but I have no reason to doubt them. Help please? Thank you.

http://image-fast.com/image/062cd45dd7f ... graph1.jpg

Only one would scan correctly, so here goes.

I cannot confirm authenticity but I do know that Senator McCain has a very advanced autopen machine which is able to imitate McCains handwriting (not just his name). Here is a link to a very eye opening article:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0408/p09s01-coop.html

Hmm interesting indeed. I think they're real though; with my connection to McCain's close assistant. Who really knows though, eh?

ColoAlex wrote:Hmm interesting indeed. I think they're real though; with my connection to McCain's close assistant. Who really knows though, eh?

Absolutely right. Who really knows. It is sad that we have things like autopen machines. It is destroying the political autograph collecting hobby and even beginning to destroy other branches of collecting.

Companies such as PSA DNA and GAI have been authenticating autopenned signatures for a while now. Here is a link to a Bill Clinton autopen authenticated by GAI:

http://cgi.ebay.com/President-Bill-Clin ... 6812wt_948

Sold for $200 too. What a shame .

I'm new here, so here's my question: is a preprint printed on the paper, or is simply a genuine signature that has been pre-signed?

For example: writing to a Senator: printed already on the photo? Or maybe he signs many of them and sends one (not personalized) to an individual who wants an autograph?

A preprint is a copy of an original autograph, so while it is usually authentic, it is not hand-signed by the celeb. {thumb2}

They don't look like McCain's signature. He is left-handed, and those look like they were signed by someone right handed. That signature doesn't have the left handed charisterics.

wlperie wrote:I cannot confirm authenticity but I do know that Senator McCain has a very advanced autopen machine which is able to imitate McCains handwriting (not just his name). Here is a link to a very eye opening article:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0408/p09s01-coop.html

That article says nothing about it duplicating his handwriting - it says an assistant typed the letter, and signed it with the autopen.

Also, there is no such thing as an 'advanced' autopen machine. There's only two models of the system - the original Autopen and a smaller sized one.