Autograph Authentication Questions about PSA and a 1915 letter

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Posted By: Richard Simon

I just received some new information about PSA from autograph dealer Kevin Keating. It seems he was the winning bidder of what appeared to be a Charles Ebbets (Owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Ebbets Field) 1915 signed letter on Dodger stationery from Steve Verkman. The letter came with a COA from PSA. When Kevin received the letter it turned out to be a letter signed by Charles Ebbets Jr., who was the secretary of the Dodgers, and listed on the letterhead, and not THE Charles Ebbets, who was President of the Dodgers, and also listed on the letterhead. The autograph of Charles Ebbets Jr. was authenticated by PSA as the autograph of Charles Ebbets. Their signatures bear no resemblance to each other. Was this letter examined by someone from PSA with even a cursory look?

Authenticators disagree about the authenticity of various signatures. Authenticators make some honest mistakes. That is going to happen. However, authenticating a Charles Ebbets Jr. signature as his father's signature, authenticating George Bush autopen signatures as genuine, authenticating Bruce Springsteen facsimile signatures as genuine, these are not disagreements over signatures. You can read about these other stories on my website.

http://www.richardsimonsports.com/hofauto2.htm.

These errors were all done for auction house catalogs. Are there other similar errors out there in the hobby? These mistakes are coming from the authentication service that likes to boast in their advertising that the item is not real unless PSA says it's real. What do you, the collecting public, think?

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I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.