Quote:
Originally Posted by Herman Darvick
With the existence of the Foster + Freeman Video Spectral Comparator, I probably would want to examine the signature to possibly learn if it was signed between the book's publishing in 1947 and Joe Jackson's death in 1951, and not after I sold the first authentic Joe Jackson signature at auction in 1990 for $23,100.
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I'm not quite sure that that machine can tell you the AGE of writing sample, as it uses different sources of
light for its analyses. I believe it can tell you differences in ink colors, erasures, overwriting, etc., but nothing about age.
I believe that one would have to take a minute sample of the ink, or use the latest advances in mass spectrometry (non-destructive) in order to determine the actual age of the ink (comparing it to known manufacturer's samples). This was done with a Clyde Barrow letter we once handled to determine that the graphite was not of the period: an analysis using a light source of any kind would have been useless. Of course, the cost of such apparatus is far beyond the reach of any autograph dealer or authenticator.
Please correct me if I'm mistaken.