Doolittle Autograph, Starting Bid $4.97

This cover is not worth $4.97 without the "autograph." With it, it is worth nothing. At least the seller is somewhat honest in listing it "as is."


Full listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-The-W...113104993713

Note the excessive shipping cost, too. The seller's normal items are sports memorabilia. Do they really think the "autograph" is genuine?

Here's the really strange thing - http://www.historyforsale.com/briga...ned/dc177951 This site is full of "autographed" FDCs from Doolittle with the same style autograph along with others that look more legit. Doolittle's real signature usually has a lot more flair.

Examples

Doolittle signature at age 95?

Jimmy Doolittle was born in 1896 and died in 1993. In 1978 when this first day cover was issued he would have been 82 years old so it is possible that he might have signed it and others with his 82 year old shaky hand. There are some similarities to the bold signature that is seen on his flight covers back in the day. However, given that it is 1) questionable; 2) on a cover that honors the Wright Brothers and not him or anything he did other than the vague reference to other early pilots in addition to the Wright brothers; 3) it is not on a flight cover that he flew; and, 4) if it is his signature, is not from the time when he was actually flying on his many famous flights I would not see it adding any additional value to the first day cover as a first day cover.

Getting close, at 96...

The cover is from 1978 it could have been signed years after release. The signature is closer tothe way he signed things in his 90's than earlier in his life, just saying.