Even for a trained professional, a good autopenned signature can be very difficult to differentiate from an authentic autograph. Autopenned signatures are signed by a machine called an Auto Pen. Autopenned signatures generally have little-to-no value because they are not a true, hand-signed autograph. Unfortunately, many sellers, sometimes purposely, sometimes inadvertently, often sell autopenned signatures as the real deal. Fortunately, most autopenned autographs are not very high quality, and are fairly simple to spot with a little practice. Tell-tale signs of autopenned signatures include:

Shakiness: Autopen machines vibrate when in use, causing the signature to appear shaky. A good example of a shaky autopenned signature is Joe Montana's. Nearly 100% of the through-the-mail Joe Montana autographs are done by a very shaky autopen machine. Here is an example:


Abrupt starts and stops: Autopenned signatures usually come to a very abrupt start and stop. This is due to the fact that the machine places the pen straight down onto the item being signed, then lifts it straight up when the signature is finished. This also causes the lines of the signature to have the same thickness, unlike a true autograph. Steve Young's autopenned signature is a good example of abrupt starts and stops (notice the dots, or pools of ink, at the beginning and end of the signature):


Identical signatures: Each signature created by an autopen machine is identical or nearly identical. As you'll notice when you sign your own name, no two hand-signed autographs are exactly the same. Do a search of  "Joe Montana autograph" on eBay, and notice how so many of the signatures look EXACTLY the same. That's because the majority of "signed" Joe Montana trading cards on eBay are actually autopenned signatures. However, keep in mind that some famous people use multiple autopen machines or templates.

As with all autograph purchases, research, research, research! Research the item AND the company you're purchasing from. Find a couple, or a few, reputable dealers and try to stick with those. A great place to start is by buying from ONLY UACC Registered Dealers. Be sure to check out our other guides for more information on why this is important, as well as other tips on safely purchasing autographed memorabilia. And as always, Happy Collecting!