eBay

vlade13 · ‎08-15-2017

Some clown, claiming to be a family member of General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., emailed me this morning through eBay, notifying me that his "relative" always signed General before his name, and therefore that the signature in the General's autobiography that I have listed where he signed his name "Ben Davis" is a fake. Failed to sway him after pointing him to two other copies, one in my possession acquired from a person who obtained the General's autograph in-person and another copy listed for sale on ABE, where he signed in identical fashion.

Gotta love the self-appointed eBay authentication police. Way too much time on his hand.

maxine*j · ‎08-15-2017

Well, you must admit the signature is odd. In every other example I could find, the "D" is different, and I didn't find other examples of his signing as "Ben Davis."

It seems unusual for him to sign it as "Ben Davis" when it's not inscribed to anyone. I mean, he might easily sign that way to a friend or colleague but, as it is, with no inscription at all, it seems unusual.

I'm not saying you haven't seen other examples, or that those or yours are not legit. I'm just saying that anyone doing a normal web search is going to see his autograph as "Benjamin O. Davis, Jr." over and over again, with that distinctive "D," and wonder about this signature, especially lacking an inscription.

I don't think that's clownish.

Anyhow, you're confident of what you have and will stand by it, so no problem.

vlade13 · ‎08-15-2017

No, I respectfully don't acknowledge that the "D" is "odd." The "D" in all other known examples that I've consulted, including another signed example on a limited edition "Gathering of Eagles" print that I own with the General's signature, is exactly the same.

The difference here, and what in my opinion does take this to the clownish level, is that the objector claims to be a family member of the General, but has no clue that the General routinely signed in this fashion. Sure, some novice unfamiliar with the signature could possible raise issue with the General signing as Ben versus Benjamin, but if you think about it, if someone were intent on pawning off a forged signature, one would certainly sign his full first name to reduce suspicion.

Furthermore, his inquiry didn't come in the form of a polite request for more information/clarification. Rather, he rudely called it a fake and demanded that I remove it. Send in the clowns.

maxine*j · ‎08-15-2017

Well, I still see a difference in the "D" but that hardly matters, and I do agree that the email you received sounds hostile and a bit silly, to boot.

Anyhow, I see you have several bids on the book and I hope it does well for you.

argon38 · ‎08-15-2017

I did a comparison with some online examples before reading Maxine's comments. I also noticed a difference with regard to the "D".

maxine*j · ‎08-15-2017

@argon38 wrote:
I did a comparison with some online examples before reading Maxine's comments. I also noticed a difference with regard to the "D".

Oh, good! Glad it wasn't just my eyes, which are now old, or my imagination, which is still childish.

yankeebob1951 · ‎08-15-2017

I was curious enough to do a little poking around & found this page:

http://www.capitalwing.org/honorary_members.asp?menuID=

If you scroll down to the general's entry, there's a letter to the right with the "Ben Davis" signature...which to me seems similal to the one in the book for sale.

I do see a difference in the "D" from examples of the full "General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr." or "Benjamin O. Davis, Jr." examples I found...but think that could maybe be explained by a difference in his personal writing style moving from an "n" to a "d" or from an "o" to a "d".

argon38 · ‎08-15-2017

Four links to signatures with the "different D":

http://www.historyforsale.com/productimages/jpeg/263925.jpg

http://www.historyforsale.com/productimages/jpeg/189817.jpg

http://www.historyforsale.com/productimages/jpeg/153315.jpg

http://www.historyforsale.com/productimages/jpeg/208165.jpg

However, the D in this example is more like the one in vlade's book:

http://www.historyforsale.com/productimages/jpeg/153316.jpg

(All links posted for reference/comparison purposes only).

argon38 · ‎08-15-2017

@yankeebob1951 wrote:

http://www.capitalwing.org/honorary_members.asp?menuID=
If you scroll down to the general's entry, there's a letter to the right with the "Ben Davis" signature...which to me seems similal to the one in the book for sale.

Agreed.