Continuing from yesterday’s post… it was noted that Forrest Smith somehow misspelled his own name, in his signature that appears on the missing Missouri pattern, which was featured yesterday.
Monte was kind enough to offer up some additional information on the matter, along with some new photographs. Taken from the comments section yesterday, Monte explained:
Not only was Forrest misspelled on this zinc pattern, but on 4 other patterns from the state of Missouri as well. Additionally, his name was misspelled that way on a couple of the early (1936, 1937) State Rules and Regulations booklets and on one of his campaign pin-back buttons for the position of State Auditor when he ran for a second term. Forrest Smith is also the only known human to have had his name appear on a roll and box from ANY state, on Missouri zinc tokens, although his name was spelled correctly on those (they are not listed in the M&D).
The cursive script that appears as a signature is not actually anything like Forrest Smith’s real signature. You may go to eBay now and find a few items signed by Smith, and a comparison shows that what appeared on the pattern shown was nothing more than an attempt to make the script appear as a signature. It was not actually anything like Smith’s real signature, even during the mid to late 1930’s period when he did use a simpler cursive hand. Again - this error was wholly a matter of incorrect adoption of what were very simple instructions to the minter. The size, composition, diameter, and weight of the token were always the primary concern. Other examples, such as that of the wrong apostrophe on the first round Illinois state issue, have been cooberated to have been correct when the directions for the token went from the state to the mint, and the mint, again, made that final error.
In that case, wouldn’t what you’re saying suggest that the signature on the token wasn’t actually his?
Please note that I sincerely doubt that Forrest Smith misspelled his own name! More than likely, this was a simple error that happened when the details of the order from the state were transferred to the minter. Once the state approved either the patterns, or the boxes and rolls, which featured Smith’s name, I have no doubt that it was simply erroneously misspelled at the minter. Note that no token ever appeared for circulation with Smith’s name.