Authenticated Trump signature on copy of articles of impeachment could fetch $20K in auction

DETROIT – President Donald Trump was at a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, on Dec. 18 when he made history, becoming the third president to be impeached by the House of Representatives.

To commemorate the occasion, a man at the rally decided to get Trump's autograph on an unusual item. As the crowd around him chanted, "Four more years," Jonathan Moore got the president to put his signature on a printed copy of his articles of impeachment.

Those signed articles of impeachment, with the signature cleared by Beckett Authentication Services and PSA/DNA Authentication Services, are being auctioned to the highest bidder.

In a signed and notarized letter of provenance, Moore said he attended the Battle Creek rally and asked Trump to sign the articles of impeachment hours after he was impeached.

Trump "happily complied."

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Goldin Auctions received the document, hundred of pages, along with the letter of provenance in January through a third party.

The unique piece hit the auction block Jan. 20 with a starting bid of $4,000. The auction will close Feb. 22, The item is stored in the Goldin Auctions warehouse in New Jersey and had a highest bid of $14,000 Tuesday morning.

"We expect for it to go for more than $20,000," the auctioneers told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Auctioneers verified "the person who got the signature was Jonathan Moore, which is who the Letter of Provenance is also from; however, Jonathan Moore was not the consignor."

In an email to the Free Press, Beckett Authentication Services said, "It is our opinion that the Trump signature is indeed authentic, as indicated by the Letter of Authenticity that we provided."

"Donald Trump’s signature resembles at times a seismogram reading after an earthquake. He has a very fast and quick signature, which shows conviction, strength and ego," said Steve Grad, principal authenticator for Beckett Authentication Services. "His in-person, rushed signature is very different from his sit-down signature, which he signs various bills, documents and letters with."

Grad said the two signatures barely resemble each other.

Beckett Authentication Services keeps a file dating to the 1980s of Trump's autograph, showing the changes over the years.

"He (Trump) has gone from a very consistent and legible signature to a very rushed and hurried autograph, which he’s used primarily over the past 25 years as his popularity has grown," Grad said.

Goldin Auctions and Beckett Authentication Services were not able to disclose who submitted the item because of a confidentiality agreement and privacy laws.

Follow reporter Bisma Parvez on Twitter @bismapar

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Donald Trump signed copy of impeachment articles up for auction