Opinions on Ronald Reagan signature in book

Thanks for any insight on this one. I'd like additional opinions on this Ronald Reagan book/ signed piece. I submitted it for a quick opinion from PSA and the result was 'likely not genuine'. I obtained the book with the slip over the first page stating 'With compliments from President Reagan'. I haven't seen any other message on a slip like that on a Reagan book, including on worthpoint. When I saw that and the sig I thought it was a slam dunk. Interestingly, the info I got on a Hillis Sisk on google- "Death Record December 1992 (age 69)". This book (An American Life) is copyrighted 1990.

And I wouldn't say it's autopen, I mean, for one it's inscribed. Plus it doesn't appear to have the same thickness/ pressure throughout, judging from the backside of the page and the bleed through to the following page.

Seeing that may be the case he had a stage of alzhemiers that wouldn't allow him to make a nice fluid sig, I can see how that may have caused him to dot the 'i' in 'wishes' farther to the right and the second 'i' in Hillis further to the right

Tags: reagan, ronald

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Permalink Reply by crazyrabbits23 on April 17, 2022 at 11:38am

The fact that it's personalized is a good sign -- speaking personally, I probably wouldn't buy any presidential signatures unless they were inscribed. Less chance of shenanigans.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on April 17, 2022 at 11:56am

Reagan would send detailed personal letters to old friends and they would be Autopenned.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on April 17, 2022 at 12:10pm

How did you get there? I was talking to CrazyRabbits as my post indicates, and stating a fact. I'd ask Herman Darvick about this signature as he is very familar with Presidential autographs. I suspect it is good.

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Permalink Reply by Drew Palermo on April 17, 2022 at 3:09pm

I'll definitely try to get in touch with him, thx. I wonder if there's a way to get in touch with the Reagan Library in CA to see if Hillis Sisk was somebody Reagan mailed out a personalized autograph to.

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Permalink Reply by JMS1223 on April 17, 2022 at 12:22pm

Looks like an authentic hand signed and inscribed book signed post Presidency due to the shakiness in handwriting. Reagan signed his books ttm for a number of years after he was President. He signed a pile of bookplates at one point and during this phase those that requested a signed book would get a bookplate placed in their book. Before that he signed the actual book itself. The bookplates were only provided if you sent in your book (they never sent the bookplate itself - the sender had to bother with sending book first). The earlier senders got handwritten inscriptions by Reagan such as your example (early 1990s) then just real signature with calligraphy on bookplate placed in the book you sent (mid 90s) and when the real signature bookplates ran out autopen signed bookplates started (probably around very early 2000s). Anyway, that is what I heard.

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Permalink Reply by Drew Palermo on April 17, 2022 at 3:02pm

Thanks for that information. I lean towards it being authentic, too and won't be bothered to send it into PSA or JSA as the shakiness probably won't do well there.

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Permalink Reply by JK on April 17, 2022 at 3:26pm

That bookplate situation sounds about right. I got one of the calligraphy-inscribed bookplates with authentic signatures in a book I sent to his office. Then I also got a few autopen bookplates sent to me (no book required).