Top 10 Most Coveted Author Autographs

A signature from a celebrated author can significantly enhance a book's worth. Yet, books aren't the sole items authors sign—their autographs also appear on legal papers, personal letters, and various manuscripts. Typically, the rarer the signature, the more valuable it becomes. The autographs of the following authors are especially sought after.

Contents

Harper Lee

The elusive Harper Lee rarely autographed her works, making a signed first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird in excellent condition worth upwards of $20,000. In 2015, her publishers issued 500 limited leather-bound signed copies of her second novel, Go Set a Watchman, priced at $1500 each, anticipating their future collectibility. With Lee signing far fewer copies of Watchman compared to Mockingbird before her passing, signed editions of Watchman may eventually become even more coveted.

William Shakespeare

Only six authenticated examples of William Shakespeare’s signature exist today, making his autograph highly sought after. These signatures are all found on legal papers, with three appearing on versions of the famed playwright’s will. Experts are particularly intrigued by Shakespeare’s signature due to its inconsistent appearance and the varied spellings of his name, ranging from Shackper to Shackspere. Given its rarity, it is considered the most valuable author signature globally. If a Shakespeare signature were to surface on the market today (an improbable scenario, as all known signatures are held by institutions), it could command at least $5 million. A signature on a handwritten play or poem by Shakespeare would likely be deemed priceless.

James Joyce

Due to the banning of James Joyce's Ulysses in both the UK and the US for its controversial content, first editions of the novel have become highly coveted 20th-century treasures, with signed copies being exceptionally rare. A pristine signed first edition of Ulysses—only the final section, containing the risqué content, had been read—was auctioned in 2009 for £275,000 (approximately $398,000 at the time). Additionally, Joyce’s signed letters hold significant value; in August 2015, two such letters sold for $25,000 at auction.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Autographs by F. Scott Fitzgerald are uncommon, partly because during his peak fame following the publication of The Great Gatsby, he resided in Paris, making it difficult for autograph seekers to reach him. Signed letters from Fitzgerald are especially prized, and as institutions and libraries actively seek to preserve his correspondence, their value often skyrockets—in 2004, one such letter sold at auction for $m. A first edition of The Great Gatsby, personally inscribed by Fitzgerald to Harold Goldman (whom he referred to as “the original Gatsby"), was auctioned in 2015 for an astonishing $191,000.

J. D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger retreated from public life in the 1950s, seldom responding to fan mail or making public appearances, rendering his autograph exceptionally scarce. When he did sign books, he frequently added a personal note. Today, the presence of such a message helps experts verify the authenticity of a Salinger signature. In 2014, a collection of 41 typed and signed letters from Salinger to a woman named Christine, spanning over a decade of communication, sold at auction for $185,000.

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway’s autographed letters, particularly those addressed to his famous acquaintances, are highly valuable. A typed note he sent to his close friend Marlene Dietrich in 1955 fetched $35,000 in 2014, while a handwritten letter to Ezra Pound from 1925 sold for $157,326 in 2007. Signed copies of Hemingway’s books can be even more lucrative—a first edition of his renowned novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, dedicated to his wife Martha Gellhorn, was auctioned for $310,400 in 2004, and a scarce early edition of his 1926 work sold for $366,400.

Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë’s autograph seldom appears on the market, but when it does, it is typically found on her personal correspondence. In 2009, a letter in which she declined a marriage proposal from Reverend Henry Nussey was auctioned for $56,250, even though the signature had been removed and later reattached. In 2013, a small handwritten poem Brontë wrote at the age of 13 in 1829 sold for £92,450 (approximately $134,000). Such items, however, are exceptionally rare.

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens typically used a blue fountain pen for his signature, which helps in identifying forgeries. In 2014, a signed copy of his acclaimed novel A Tale of Two Cities, dedicated to fellow writer Mary Ann Evans (also known as George Eliot), was auctioned for an impressive £275,000 (approximately $398,000). Dickens’s signed or handwritten letters also hold significant value, with even a brief note fetching between $4,000 and $7,000.

George Orwell

While George Orwell’s signature is highly sought after, with letters often selling for around $10,000, signed copies of his most famous work—1984—are exceptionally rare and valuable. By the time the novel was published in 1949, Orwell was gravely ill and passed away shortly after, leaving very few signed copies. In the mid-2010s, one such copy surfaced on the market and was quickly purchased for $26,500.

J. K. Rowling

The initial UK print run of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the U.S. market) consisted of only around 2000 copies, with approximately 500 being hardbacks. Most of these first editions were distributed to libraries, leaving very few in pristine condition. As a result, a signed first edition of J.K. Rowling’s debut novel is now valued at about $24,000 (and sometimes significantly more).

In 2007, a handwritten version of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was auctioned—Rowling produced only seven copies of this book, never intending it for publication. Six copies were given to individuals closely associated with the Harry Potter series, while the seventh was auctioned for charity, with Amazon securing it for an astounding $3.98 million.