Autopen Don Lind NASA Astronaut STS 51B Space Signature : eBay Guides

Astronaut Don C. Lind used at least one autopen example during his career as a space hero.  These fake autographs are still floating around and some may find their way onto eBay.  Collectors should be aware of the risk with Don Lind signatures, especially with STS-51B items.

This Guide will reproduce the known example of his fake autograph.  This comes from the archives of Space Autograph News, an underground and out-of-print newsletter published in the 1990s.

An autopen is a machine-generated signature used widely by celebrities and politicians in the previous century.  These fake autographs were sent by the thousands in response to fan mail.  Early NASA astronauts were known to use autopens, so savvy collectors always watch out.

Fortunately, if you can identify autopens, you'll eliminate a lot of risky material from your portfolio.  Here's a few general characteristics about an autopen signature:

• Uniform thickness of the signature, from beginning to end
• Consistent coloration of the signature
• Occasionally wobbling to the signature, as if the paper slipped during the impression
• Noticeable impression on the paper, since the autopen machine pushes down on the surface area.

In other words, an autopen looks almost too perfect.  That's the hand of a machine writing.  On the other hand, whenever someone scribbles their signature, natural imperfections occur.  That's what you want to see in an autograph--a natural blemished look.

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