9 August—Here are eight John Hancocks, only the top one being the real thing, of course. The prototype John Hancock was actually penned by the man himself, who served, inter alia, as president of the Second Continental Congress. It’s well known that he was elected to that exalted position because he took the trouble to sign his name so carefully and elegantly. It’s likely that he autographed photos of himself with a prototype Sharpie, but, sadly, none have ever appeared on the market. They’re all doubtless in the private collections of descendants of his colonial fans.

The other seven John Hancocks pictured here were scribbled by good, bad, and ugly presidents and (other) dictators then and now, at home and abroad. They’re nothing to write home about . . .