Our Purpose

Services Provided by Scientific Authentication Company is a measured deliberate examination to determine the authenticity of the signature submitted. Our authentication services are an opinion-based service that systematically investigates all signed items by comparing the items to known authentic exemplars of the signers.

Our Philosphy on Authentication

Scientific Authentication Company was started as an alternative to the way autographs were examined for authentication. In the past the sports memorabilia authentication companies have used collectors and dealers as their authenticators. These authenticators highly respected in the industry have for their collecting and selling expertise have had little or no formal training in forensics and document examination. Our background in forensics along with our commitment to measured scientific principles and working with well-trained forensic and document examiners, combined with today’s latest technology can produce consistent scientific proof that signatures are authentic or counterfeit.

What is Forensic Document Examination?

Forensic document examination is the scientific study of questioned handwriting, signatures, and printed materials in order to determine authenticity and authorship. This discipline applies systematic analysis to evaluate whether a specific individual is responsible for producing a particular piece of writing. Handwriting identification is not based on simple visual opinion, but rather on a structured process that examines numerous natural writing features. Document examiners analyze elements such as letter shapes, stroke direction, spacing, proportions, pen pressure, connecting movements, writing rhythm, and overall consistency. These characteristics develop naturally over time and become unique to each writer. When individuals first learn to write, they are taught standardized letter forms and patterns, often through copybook instruction. The shared features that result from this early training are known as class characteristics, which are common among people who learned the same style of writing. By carefully comparing both class and individual traits, forensic document examination provides reliable scientific support in determining whether writing is genuine or fraudulent.

Consistent Similarities

As handwriting develops into an automatic and unconscious act, writers gradually introduce unique habits and personalized features into their writing, much like the expression of individual identity. These features are known as individual characteristics. A proper handwriting examination involves the evaluation of both class traits, which are common among writers of similar training, and individual traits, which become specific to one person over time. As an individual continues to write throughout life, the combination of these characteristics tends to remain relatively stable and repeat in consistent ways. This consistency allows one writing sample to be meaningfully compared with another. When strong and recurring similarities are observed, they may support the conclusion that two writings share common authorship. Conversely, significant unexplainable differences can support an exclusion. When a questioned signature or document is submitted for analysis, forensic specialists apply a range of scientific methods, including detailed magnification and stroke evaluation, to identify both class and individual characteristics present within the writing.

Standards & Patterns

This approach is also applied when examining known handwriting samples from an individual in order to establish the writer’s typical characteristics and natural variations. No person produces handwriting that is perfectly identical every time; however, most writers demonstrate repeating habits and consistent patterns that allow experts to determine the normal range of variation within their writing. Once these standards are identified, questioned documents can then be carefully compared against the verified exemplars of the suspected writer. The goal is to assess whether the same class and individual characteristics appear in both sets of writing, and whether any differences present can be reasonably explained through natural variation. When the questioned writing aligns with the established patterns found in the known standards, and no significant unexplained discrepancies are observed, forensic principles may support a conclusion of common authorship. This scientific comparison process plays a critical role in determining authenticity during document examination.

Confirmation

Forensic document analysis often requires collaboration with other qualified professionals in order to reach accurate conclusions. When examining signatures, consulting with specialists can assist the forensic examiner in evaluating factors such as ink composition, potential alterations, restoration efforts, and other technical aspects of the document. This multidisciplinary approach helps ensure a thorough and scientifically supported determination of authenticity.