Babe Ruth Endorsed Check

rand1com · #1 05-10-2021, 07:04 PM

OK.

So here is the full story. About 15 years ago I bought this check off Ebay just as it is for $1500. No authentication. At the time, it was a good price but not a steal.

I held onto it for a couple of years and sent it to a major auction house with some other items for consignment. They sent the check back to me and said it did not pass authentication. It would have been PSA/DNA at that time with Steve Grad the likely authenticator as I think Jimmy Spence had already left to form JSA.

I certainly thought it was a perfect example as the opinions expressed here but I would not try and sell it since they sent it back and I did not want to spend another $250 which was the Ruth fee at the time to get the same result.

It was way too late to try and get my money back from the seller so I chalked it up to a bad beat down.

I did not think much more about it but still had it in a box here at my home.

Then a few days ago I was looking at the Heritage Auction and saw a check up for auction that appeared to be a mirror of this check with the same bank and same person signing the front. I compared the two closely and although the handwriting on the check looks a little different, mine was a year later based on the dating than the one in Heritage so depending on age etc., possibly the signer's writing was a little different.

So, I got to thinking maybe mine was indeed good after all. Hence, I put it up here for some opinions which I respect.

I did not want to declare the facts as I wanted opinions based on the Ruth signature, not the story. I was encouraged by the responses with no one who opined it was not authentic.

As a final test, I submitted it to Beckett for the online opinion for $10. They quickly opined "Not likely to pass full authentication." Of course you get no reason, just Yes/No.

With a $350 fee for Ruth, it just does not make sense to submit it for full authentication.

There must be a tell that we are all missing and they immediately picked up on.

If indeed this is a forgery, it is the best one I have ever seen.

So there is the "whole story."

Bpm0014 · #2 05-10-2021, 07:45 PM

While GH Ruth may be easier to forge than Babe Ruth, I�m still 100% convinced this is good. There is absolutely not 1 thing that stands out about this that says it�s no good. Only thing I can think of is that there are a number of these floating around and it�s simply a longtime known forgery. Otherwise I stand behind my assessment that this is good.

David Atkatz · #3 05-10-2021, 09:20 PM

I completely agree with Brendan. There certainly isn't any magic "tell." Either it can be shown that those particular checks started life as something else, or it's good.

Bpm0014 · #4 05-10-2021, 10:34 PM

There certainly isn't any magic "tell." Either it can be shown that those particular checks started life as something else, or it's good.

Exactly

chalupacollects · #5 05-11-2021, 10:14 AM

The tell appears not to have anything to do with the signature nor the check itself. The red cancellation on the stamp to me is the tell that this check was manufactured from blank checks someone ran across. The font style for the date is more modern than those in use in 1944.

Also Babe Ruth had a long standing relationship with Chemical Bank which if you look into seems to be what most of his check signatures are written on. Then about 1945 to 1946 his checks appear to be drawn mainly on Chase National Bank. Though this check was written to him and not from a personal account of his...

steve B · #6 05-11-2021, 11:45 AM

They're 1948, but these have a very similar stamp from different banks. It was probably supplied by the clearing house.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Judaica-25-...-/293768413159

Would it have been different in 42? Maybe, but a bit of searching for checks from NY banks from that era should eventually turn up a check to/from nobody important with the same stamp.

Aquarian Sports Cards · #7 05-11-2021, 11:50 AM

Are we 100% that it is live ink and not a stamp? I ask because junctions where letters cross each other aren't darker as they normally would be. The "H" especially on the right side where it crosses the upright doesn't look like a pen did it.

JimStinson · #8 05-11-2021, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalupacollects

The tell appears not to have anything to do with the signature nor the check itself. The red cancellation on the stamp to me is the tell that this check was manufactured from blank checks someone ran across. The font style for the date is more modern than those in use in 1944.

Also Babe Ruth had a long standing relationship with Chemical Bank which if you look into seems to be what most of his check signatures are written on. Then about 1945 to 1946 his checks appear to be drawn mainly on Chase National Bank. Though this check was written to him and not from a personal account of his...

Also, this information is very much "on the money" Thanks
________________________
ALWAYS BUYING VINTAGE AUTOGRAPHS
jim@stinsonsports.com

packs · #9 05-11-2021, 01:02 PM

One thing that sticks out to me is that the signature appears to be in the same pen as the one used to write the check out by a different person.

David Atkatz · #10 05-12-2021, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalupacollects

The tell appears not to have anything to do with the signature nor the check itself. The red cancellation on the stamp to me is the tell that this check was manufactured from blank checks someone ran across. The font style for the date is more modern than those in use in 1944.

Also Babe Ruth had a long standing relationship with Chemical Bank which if you look into seems to be what most of his check signatures are written on. Then about 1945 to 1946 his checks appear to be drawn mainly on Chase National Bank. Though this check was written to him and not from a personal account of his...

This is a check written to Ruth, not by Ruth. Anyone, banking at any bank, could have written him a check.
That being said, Jim has pointed out that these checks, from this particular bank, are well-known.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Wtb: Babe ruth signed check	fuzzybub	Autographs & Game Used B/S/T	0	08-12-2017 02:21 PM
Babe Ruth Autograph Check Cut Help Please	daves_resale_shop	Autograph Forum- Primarily Sports	21	09-01-2012 12:45 AM
Babe Ruth Signed Check 1940 PSA/DNA	MVSNYC	Ebay, Auction and other Venues Announcement- B/S/T	0	08-26-2011 11:33 PM
Check this one out.....Babe Ruth?	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	0	09-25-2007 09:04 PM
I'm going home to check my Babe Ruth underwear!	Archive	Net54baseball Sports (Primarily) Vintage Memorabilia Forum incl. Game Used	4	05-27-2007 02:16 AM