What does a scientific forensic examiner do?
The examination of a questioned document and signature consists of the measured analysis and comparison of questioned handwriting, ink, and the item itself. The ink, item and signature will share similarities in the questioned document that have counterparts in the exemplars in the SAC Library. The nature and the extent of these similarities are indicative of common authorship, which allows SAC to provide for an accurate, frank and logical conclusion.
What kind of education does the document examiner at SAC have?
The SAC Examiners must possess an undergraduate degree, and two years apprenticeship at a recognized forensic laboratory.
Description
Forensic document examiners are trained to identify handwriting and signatures, but they study a wide range of documents. They are able to identify if a document has been forged or if the text has been altered by adding, deleting or substituting words. Forensic document examiners can also identify which model of typewriter has created a document or whether a document is a photocopy. They also compare inks that are used in documents and determine what type of writing instrument was used in the document’s creation.
Are Authentications based on science or opinion?
The best anyone can do is to consult with someone with a proven training and a reputation for following set standards and principles of Forensics, Secondly; you should determine the chain of custody of the item. There is a standard protocol for authenticating an autograph but it starts with education, training and experience. The ideal authenticator should have forensic training, experience in a laboratory and served an apprenticeship under a court certified document examiner.
What is an autograph?
An autograph is a document written entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one transcribed by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph. Autograph also refers to a person’s signature. This term is used in particular for the practice of collecting autographs of celebrities. The collection of autographs is known as philography. An individual’s writing styles change throughout the lifespan of a person; a signature of President George Washington (c. 1795) will be different from one when he was an 18-year-old land surveyor. After British Admiral Nelson lost his right arm at the Tenerife sea-battle in 1797, he switched to using his left hand. However, the degree of change may vary greatly. The signatures of Washington and Lincoln changed only slightly during their adult lives, while John F. Kennedy’s signature was different virtually every time he signed. Other factors affect an individual’s signature, including their level of education, health, and so on. Blues singer John Lee Hooker had a limited education, and such is reflected in his handwriting. Composer Charles Ives and boxer Muhammad Ali both suffered from Parkinson’s disease, and their handwriting show the effects of that condition as well. Native American Chief Geronimo had no concept of an alphabet; he “drew” his signature, much like a pictograph. Many individuals have much more fanciful signatures than their normal cursive writing, including elaborate ascenders, descenders and exotic flourishes, much as one would find in calligraphic writing.
What is a signature?
A signature (from Latin signare, “sign”) is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized) depiction of someone’s name (or some other identifying mark) that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and will. It acts as a seal. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Like a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying its creator.
What is a Manuscript?
A manuscript is any document that is written by hand, as opposed to being printed or reproduced in some other way. The term may also be used for information that is hand-recorded in other ways than writing, for example inscriptions that are chiseled upon a hard material or scratched (the original meaning of graffiti) as with a knife point in plaster or with a stylus on a waxed tablet, (the way Romans made notes), or are in cuneiform writing, impressed with a pointed stylus in a flat tablet of unbaked clay. The word manuscript is derived from the Latin manu scriptus, literally “written by hand.”
How do I submit my item(s) to SAC?
You can download our submission form which is found at the Submission form Tab Bar on our Website.
How do I ship my items to SAC?
SAC recommends you use one of the recognized carriers such as Fed Ex, USPS, or UPS.
Submission Instructions
Print your name, return shipping address, email address and phone number in space provided
Autograph Authentication (Required) List the description of each item, with authentication price, enter declared value and total number of signatures on each item
Label Placement Option. Check box for hologram on item or letter.
Return shipment (Required) Complete return shipping information
Include Check, Money Order, PayPal or Credit Card Info. You must include payment before your order will be processed.
Packages From SAC: All orders are shipped fully insured through USPS. Calculate Fees at USPS.com. Fed Ex/UPS Option you must have your own account number and insurance.
