Nelson's not a patch on James Dean: Actor's autograph is deemed the most valuable of any celebrity 

  • Signature of Rebel Without A Cause star would fetch £18,000 at auction 
  • Martial arts legend Bruce Lee's would raise £11,000 and Nelson's £10,500
  • The top price paid for a living person's sign-off is £3,750 for Fidel Castro
  • Only autograph not taken into account in new study is that of Shakespeare 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 18:49 EST, 15 October 2015 | Updated: 19:04 EST, 15 October 2015

Rebel Without a Cause: The autograph of actor James Dean is worth £18,000. It's so valuable due to its rarity, as Dean was only 24 when he died

Rebel Without a Cause: The autograph of actor James Dean is worth £18,000. It's so valuable due to its rarity, as Dean was only 24 when he died

Sixty years after dying in a crash, James Dean still commands the most money for an autograph by any celebrity, a study has revealed.

The signature of the Rebel Without A Cause star will fetch £18,000 at auction, beating martial arts legend Bruce Lee whose writing is valued at £11,000 with naval hero Lord Nelson in third place at £10,500.

Top price for a living famous person's sign-off is £3,750 for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's rare squiggle, which is said to be 'so rare' because autograph hunters hardly ever get past his security entourage. 

Sir Paul McCartney's autograph is second-best at £2,500 and Prince William is the third most wanted, on £2,250.

Younger brother Prince Harry's autograph is worth just £500. 

But the best-performing signature as an investment over the last 14 years is that of George Harrison. In 2000, when the former Beatle was still alive, his name was worth just £195. 

But since his death it has shot up to £3,500. 

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, has risen from £550 in 2000 to £8,500 today, following his death in 2012. 

The survey was carried out by Bristol-based memorabilia website Paul Fraser Collectibles, which studies prices paid for autographs at worldwide auction and through dealers on an annual basis. 

They have now produced the 2014 edition of the PFC40 Autograph Index, listing the top 40 of the world's most sought-after autographs.

Valuable words: Bruce Lee's signature (pictured) is the second most valuable, fetching £11,000 at auction, while Admiral Lord Nelson's would bring in £10,500

Valuable words: Bruce Lee's signature (pictured) is the second most valuable, fetching £11,000 at auction, while Admiral Lord Nelson's would bring in £10,500

Weight in gold: Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has the most valuable signature of a living person, at £3,750, largely because he is so well guarded it is difficult to get close enough to get an autograph

Weight in gold: Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has the most valuable signature of a living person, at £3,750, largely because he is so well guarded it is difficult to get close enough to get an autograph

Most autographs are based on signed-photographs but signatures on letters and greetings cards are also taken into account.

Dan Wade, of Paul Fraser Collectibles, said Dean 'wasn't famous for very long before his death in 1955 aged 24. He didn't have much of an opportunity to sign many autographs so they are extremely rare'.

He continued: 'It is nearly 60 years since his death yet his name is still extremely popular today among collectors.

'Ever since the 1950s, Fidel Castro has been the subject of numerous assassination attempts and is very well-guarded. Try and get up close to him for his autograph and you will very quickly find yourself surrounded by heavies.

Hound dog: The signature of Elvis Presley (pictured) is worth £3,500, while both Marilyn Monroe's and Winston Churchill's are worth £7,000

Hound dog: The signature of Elvis Presley (pictured) is worth £3,500, while both Marilyn Monroe's and Winston Churchill's are worth £7,000

Royal seal: Protocol dictates that members of the Royal Family can't sign autographs, so people tend to collect things like Christmas cards that they have signed. Prince William's is worth £2,250 but Harry's is worth just £500

Royal seal: Protocol dictates that members of the Royal Family can't sign autographs, so people tend to collect things like Christmas cards that they have signed. Prince William's is worth £2,250 but Harry's is worth just £500

'Winston Churchill's signature is worth £7,000 and is extremely popular among British and American collectors. But he had a long political career and signed lots of official documents so examples aren't rare by any means.'

Also valued at £7,000 is Marilyn Monroe's signature while Elvis Presley's is worth £3,500.

Mr Wade said Prince William's name was more sought-after since his marriage and birth of son George reignited worldwide interest in the Royal Family.

He said: 'Protocol dictates that members Royal Family can't sign autographs so people tend to collect things like Christmas cards that they have signed.

'It's fascinating that Prince William's signature is three times more valuable than his younger brother. That is evidence of the added cachet associated with the future King.' 

A-lister: Paul McCartney's scrawl is worth the second highest of any living person, at £2,500, largely due to his connection with the Beatles, according to Paul Fraser Collectibles

A-lister: Paul McCartney's scrawl is worth the second highest of any living person, at £2,500, largely due to his connection with the Beatles, according to Paul Fraser Collectibles

Collectible: This signed album page by the Beatles is worth £9,500, while a signed photograph of all four can fetch up to £28,000

Collectible: This signed album page by the Beatles is worth £9,500, while a signed photograph of all four can fetch up to £28,000

He explained that the only signature the Index does not take into account is Shakespeare's as only six examples exist and, as they are all held in museums or universities, they never come onto the market. 

But if one did, it would be worth 'millions of pounds'. 

In the PFC40 Autograph Index, President Barack Obama's signature is valued at £350 while Vladimir Putin's is valued at £100

Harry Potter author JK Rowling's signature is said to be worth £1,950 and boxing legend Muhammad Ali is valued at £1,750.

Sky-high: This signed photograph of Neil Armstrong is now worth £8,500. The price of memorabilia rocketed after his death in 2012

Sky-high: This signed photograph of Neil Armstrong is now worth £8,500. The price of memorabilia rocketed after his death in 2012

A photograph signed by the Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. The survey was carried out by Bristol-based memorabilia website Paul Fraser Collectibles, which studies prices paid for autographs at worldwide auction and through dealers on an annual basis

A photograph signed by the Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. The survey was carried out by Bristol-based memorabilia website Paul Fraser Collectibles, which studies prices paid for autographs at worldwide auction and through dealers on an annual basis

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