Full Rack Of 15 & Cue Ball All Individually Signed By Mosconi

Here are the balls in the auction (left) versus another box that sold recently:
 

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Here are the balls in the auction (left) versus another box that sold recently:

I noticed that the capital "M" in Mosconi is quite a bit different between the two sets. I presume he changed his signature over time which is fairly common. The photo on the left of the auction set does have the appearance of having been signed by someone later in life and who was probably a little bit older than the person who signed the set on the right. All just speculation, just found it interesting that the capital M's are so different.
 
The current auction set looks like they were signed with various Sharpie writing pens. We're those type of writing tools even around when he signed them?
 
I noticed that the capital "M" in Mosconi is quite a bit different between the two sets. I presume he changed his signature over time which is fairly common. The photo on the left of the auction set does have the appearance of having been signed by someone later in life and who was probably a little bit older than the person who signed the set on the right. All just speculation, just found it interesting that the capital M's are so different.


The M's on the right set are correct. The one's on the left set, not so much.

Lou Figueroa
 
The ones on the right are mine, but I would not have a problem with owning the set on the left. Since Mosconi almost always signed documents and photos with the hook at the top-left of the 'M', I assumed he dropped it on the pool balls when he got tired - that characteristic seems to go along with messiness. Everything else looks fine.

Sharpies hold up well over time (no fading), but they almost always look like they were signed yesterday.
 
The current auction set looks like they were signed with various Sharpie writing pens. We're those type of writing tools even around when he signed them?

Yes, felt tip Magic Marker, Mr. Sharpie type markers were common. Metallic paint pens, which look like was used above, I dunno.
 
Why are the signatures in different colors? If one was signing a full set of balls, what would be the reason to flip between different color pens?
 
On the left set the default was silver - the only exception was the cue ball, yellow and orange balls, which needed the darker blue.

On the right set the default was blue. I think he should have gone with silver on the '6' though.

Who knows what goes through a man's mind when he is signing hundreds of billiard balls? Any repetitive task causes you to change course at some point, just to stay sane.
 
The current auction set looks like they were signed with various Sharpie writing pens. We're those type of writing tools even around when he signed them?

Willie died in '93...Yes, they were around before then.
 
It was not uncommon for me to hand willie
the balls i wanted signed and a shape

i suspect that he signed with and what was handed to him

he was a true champion
 
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