PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Autograph Authentication Process Questions and Answers

Question 1

What is the most critical component used by a PSA/DNA authenticator when determining the authenticity of a submitted autograph?

Accepted Answer

A comprehensive database of known genuine autograph exemplars.

Answer

The foundation of all professional autograph authentication is the side-by-side comparison of the submitted signature to a vast library of known genuine examples (exemplars) from various points in the subject's life. This allows the authenticator to check for consistency in flow, letter formation, pressure, and other unique characteristics.

Question 2

An authenticator examining a Mickey Mantle signed baseball notices that the signature's strokes are uniform in pressure and appear unnaturally perfect, lacking the typical variations in speed and flow seen in genuine examples. Which type of forgery is most likely indicated by these characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Autopen or Mechanical Signature

Answer

Autopen or other mechanical signing devices produce signatures that are highly uniform and lack the natural variations in pressure, speed, and flow found in human handwriting. Freehand simulations often look hesitant, and tracings may have indentations. Pre-printed signatures would appear flat and part of the photo's surface.

Question 3

Which of the following characteristics is an authenticator most likely to associate with a genuine, fluidly signed autograph?

Accepted Answer

Consistent, confident strokes with natural speed and pressure variations.

Answer

A genuine signature is typically executed with a natural, practiced motion, resulting in confident strokes that show variations in speed and pressure. Hesitation, shakiness, unnatural pen lifts, and uniform pressure are classic red flags for forgeries created by simulation or mechanical means.

Question 4

A baseball alleged to have been signed by Babe Ruth in the 1930s is submitted for authentication. The signature is written with a modern blue Sharpie marker. How would a PSA/DNA authenticator most likely assess this item?

Accepted Answer

Deem it not authentic, as the writing instrument is anachronistic.

Answer

The type of writing instrument must be appropriate for the era in which the autograph was supposedly signed. Felt-tip markers like Sharpies were not commercially available until the 1960s, making it impossible for Babe Ruth, who died in 1948, to have used one. This is a definitive anachronism that proves the signature is not genuine.

Question 5

A collector submits a photograph signed by Michael Jordan. The authenticator's initial review shows that the letter formation and size are generally correct. What is the essential next step in the authentication process?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the signature's flow, speed, and pressure against known exemplars.

Answer

Authentication is a multi-faceted process. Even if letter formation appears correct, a forger might have slowly simulated the signature. Authenticators must also analyze the nuanced characteristics like flow, speed, and pressure and compare them against a library of genuine examples to detect subtle signs of forgery.

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Practice Test

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Practice Test

PSA - Professional Sports Authenticator Autograph Authentication Process Questions and Answers