Every signature is tricky ... and i'm almost sure that David his signed set came from an auction house. Because i remember the set to be stolen in a Hilton hotel and then recovered later. It was taken by an employee instead of sending it. I'll post more on the David Miller set once i get news from him about it.

And now i remember where I saw a similar thing before! Indeed they very much look alike... i'll have to write David Miller and ask some more info and put the two signatures next to each other.

Thnxs for pointing it out!

One other reason why this sale is so tricky is because it is a private auction and most of the times these are selling fakes;

One of the reasons why i did not add too many true signatures on tolkienlibrary.com is because i suspected people to start copying the signatures there. At first I had made a list of much more signatures (starting to show the difference between the early autograph of Tolkien towards his final signatures...) but i never did finish that part of the article because I suspected it to bring even more fakes on the market.

A Farmer Giles of Ham in terrible state... yet signed on a page of a blank endpaper. Strange place to sign... but it looks a true signature.

Still i feel there is something tricky about it:

http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/ws/eBayISAPI. ... PageName=ADME:B:SS:BENL:1

What are the opinions on this item?

A reply from Bonhams about the map:

194
TOLKIEN (J.R.R.) and PAULINE BAYNES
A Map of Middle-Earth, large coloured map with 10 circular illustrations depicting scenes from "The Lord of the Rings", signed by the author and artist, the frieze forming the ornamental border removed, 470 by 490mm., [1971]

£3,000-4,000

The map itself is similar to the one reproduced in "The Lord of the Rings" designed by Tolkien. 100 copies were printed on special paper in 1971 but this is one of three signed by Tolkien. Inscribed on the reverse "This map was signed for Claire Turner's birthday in July 1973 by J.R.R. Tolkien and Pauline Baynes. Professor Tolkien thought the map made a better picture by removing the top & bottom of what was the original poster. J.R.R. Tolkien signed only 3 of these maps, which are printed on special paper. This is Map No.2. Joy Hill 22 September 1973". Of the 3 signed maps, there was the one named here, one for Joy Hill (Tolkien's correspondence secretary) and one for another of Tolkien's goddaughters. See Sotheby's December 14 1992, lot 140.