Queen Elizabeth II’s autograph is among the hardest of all the modern British royals to acquire. There are some fascinating reasons for this.
Let’s examine a few of them below.
She’s lived her life in palaces
The Queen has been prepared for office since she was born.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
She spent her childhood and teenage years in the confines of her family's palaces.
Educated by private tutors.
She rarely socialised with those outside of the elite.
And while she regularly appears in public...
It’s only in highly formalised interactions with the public at openings or charity events.
Asking for an autograph is expressly forbidden.
And she's not permitted to sign
Officially, none of the royals are allowed to sign anything handed to them by the public.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
This is primarily to avoid embarrassment.
Imagine if the Queen accidentally signed a document stating that she held some controversial opinion.
It also means they’re not beset with autograph hunters every time they leave the safety of their palaces.
And while other members of the family relax this rule on occasion, the Queen never does.
As a result, the few Queen Elizabeth II signatures out there tend to be letters and greetings cards.
Signed photographs do exist.
But they are profoundly rare.
There are thousands of fakes – typically signed by secretaries or with an autopen.
And that’s another issue.
Fakes are rife
Most of the Elizabeth II autographs that come to market are signed in autopen.
The Queen has been a fan of this technology since it became commercially available in the 1960s.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
It greatly cuts down on the amount of time her office spends on mail.
This is a problem for collectors.
Because unless you’re an expert, autopen can be tricky to spot.
Plenty of unscrupulous sellers will try to pass autopens off as the real thing.
Here’s a tip.
When you sign, you’ll naturally adjust the pressure in your hand.
Autopens do not do this, so the signature will appear uniformly even and slightly shaky throughout.
My advice is always to buy through a reputable dealer.
Paul Fraser.
PS. Do you have an Elizabeth II autograph you’re looking to sell? I may be able to help. Get in touch today atinfo@paulfrasercollectibles.com.
