Possible Shakespeare Signature in Lambarde's Archaionomia

What it is

This is a signature written on the title page of a 1568 book called Archaionomia, compiled by William Lambarde. The handwriting is faded and hard to read, and it is only possibly written by William Shakespeare.

Why it matters

Genuine examples of Shakespeare's handwriting are extremely rare, so any possible signature draws intense scholarly interest. If authentic, this mark would connect Shakespeare directly to a specific book and moment, but because the writing is unclear, it also shows how historians must weigh uncertain evidence rather than accept every claim at face value.

Look closer

• What makes handwriting evidence like this hard to confirm or deny?
• Why would historians get excited about a signature that might not even be real?
• What would convince you that this signature truly belonged to Shakespeare?