posted 07-30-2016 01:38 PM               

I recall reading here years past that Shepard did sign bookplates that were later attached to the book. All you autograph experts out there, what do you think?

posted 07-30-2016 02:18 PM               

Honestly, while I don't know the ins and outs well enough to judge the authenticity of the signature, I can say that a forger would most likely pursue other, far more profitable, avenues than faking an abbreviated Shepard signature on a bookplate attached to a copy of "Moon Shot."

I've never heard of Shepard using an autopen or secretary to sign bookplates, nor do I know of an autopen or secretarial that matched that abbreviated style — again, not really worth the time and hassle. If they were going to go that route, they'd do the otherwise standard full signature.

That just leaves high quality reproductions (preprints). These weren't, to my knowledge, done by the publisher, but, lately, people have taken to duplicating certain "high profile" book plates and selling them on the cheap for people to stick in their books and feel like they got the real thing.

Those can't really be determined by an image like you've provided, but the risk of such an acquisition is quite low. Luckily, much like generic preprints that people make and sell, those bookplate reproductions never really caught on & I haven't heard any cases of collectors stumbling upon them organically (knock on wood).