Verification for Tim Considine | Item # 1795
Title: Autograph Authentication – Tim Considine
Confidence Grade: C
Overview
This report presents a forensic authentication of a handwritten signature purporting to be by Tim Considine. The image provided is a close-up of the signature, dated Oct 11, 1955. The analysis strictly adheres to a high-magnification (simulated 10×) forensic methodology, with priority given to writer identity fidelity. The assessment also includes an inspection of mechanization/reproduction indicators and a breakdown of observable red flags.
Forensic Ink and Substrate Evaluation
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Ink Saturation & Flow: The ink appears to have been applied using a fluid, free-flowing pen. There is a visible variance in stroke density, especially in the loops and rounded portions of letters, typical of analog ballpoint usage in the 1950s.
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Substrate Interaction: There is minimal feathering. Impression shadows in parts of the downstrokes suggest pressure variation consistent with genuine, manual pressure, providing moderate support for at least manual authorship, though not identity.
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Surface Compression: Slight indentation consistent with physical writing is visible across several strokes, notably on the “C” and lower portions of the final “y.”
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Detection of Mechanization: There are no indicators of autopen usage, mechanical wobble, pixel-level rigidity, or evidence of printed reproduction. Line weight and stroke tapering shift throughout the inscription, further supporting natural penmanship.
✅ Conclusion: No reproduction/red flag evidence. Signature is handwritten.
Individual Signature Analysis
Signature Reads: “Considine, Timothy”
Structural Observations:
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Entry Stroke Behavior: The “C” begins high and loops generously, with an inconsistent exit stroke transitioning unnaturally into the downstroke of “o.”
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Letter Architecture Issues:
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The “T” in “Timothy” has an exaggerated and curved horizontal crossbar lacking terminus tension or torque familiarity observed in known Tim Considine examples.
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The “h” construction includes a non-standard slant and arc shape, inconsistent with Considine’s known slanted, more vertical orientation.
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The “m” appears overly rounded and widely spaced compared to the tighter script in authenticated examples of his early and later signatures.
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Spacing & Slant:
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Variable and inconsistent letter size and slant direction within the same signature (especially from “i” to “dine” in “Considine”).
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The signature does not show the fluidity and muscle-memory cohesion expected of someone repeatedly signing their name across decades.
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Pen Rhythm: Several points in the signature (notably the transition between “T” and “i” and the segmented look of “Timothy”) suggest disrupted or non-native stroke flow, typical of imitative attempts, rather than spontaneous muscle-memory-based writing.
Collective Signature Analysis
Viewed as a single construct under simulated 10× analysis:
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The overall signature lacks internal coherence: the style of “Considine” and “Timothy” blend two different rhythm styles (looped vs. staggered), suggesting either effortful construction or an unfamiliar hand.
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The capital “C” and capital “T” are stylistically disjointed: The stroke formation logic and breath pressure in “Timothy” do not support authorship continuity with “Considine.”
Red Flags
Class A — Structural Identity Failures (Count = 2)
- Incorrect Letter Construction – “h” and “T”
- The “T” formation is unusually stylized, lacking known features of Considine’s authentic examples (more angular, deliberate starts).
- The “h” features an upstroke return inconsistent with the hallmark vertical and abbreviated loop observed in samples identified as authentic.
- Stroke Order / Architectural Anomaly – “m” in “Timothy”
- The “m” reveals wide arches with abnormal spacing—more measured than fluid—indicating a potentially less practiced hand or mimicry.
✅ Meets requirement for downgrade: ≥2 independent Class-A failures.
Class B — Contextual Concerns
- Segmented Construction: Signature appears segmented rather than cursively flowing—a possible sign of slow, effortful execution.
- Irregular Slant: Erratic swing angle throughout; not typical of automatic or habitual script.
- Aesthetic Discomfort: Presence of tight, unnatural connectors and skips through curves suggest conscious tracing or mapping tactics.
Market Comparison and Similar Item Sales
Limitation: No verified, in-session exemplars of Tim Considine are available for direct, parallel comparison. While Tim Considine was a moderately prolific signer in entertainment memorabilia, he is not in the high-scrutiny category. Absence of accepted exemplars reduces the ability to make direct stroke-for-stroke validations.
Conclusion
While the ink and substrate interactions support that the signature is handwritten, macro-structural evidence strongly challenges its authorship by Tim Considine. Multiple hallmarks essential to identity fidelity are absent or contradicted by observable features. The incongruity between “Considine” and “Timothy” in terms of rhythm, spacing, and slant further supports that this signature was likely executed by a different hand — activating the wrong-hand veto.
Confidence Grade: C – Likely NOT Authentic (due to wrong-hand authorship indicators)
Submitted Image:
