Vintage fountain pen signature, “Marilyn Monroe,” on the reverse of a 3.5 x 2.25 army medic’s identification card. Also signed by actress Terry Moore. In very good condition, with two lines of toning from prior framing passing through the first and last letters of Marilyn’s signature, mild overall soiling, a few creases, one passing through the end of her last name, and a trivial spot of paper loss, otherwise fine condition.
Barely a month after becoming Mrs. Joe DiMaggio, Monroe left Japan—and her honeymoon—to participate in a four-day ‘Anything Goes’ USO tour in Korea, arriving on February 16, 1954. It was during one of the ten shows that featured the actress that this Geneva Convention identification card, belonging to US Army medic Josiah Allen, Jr., which had already been signed by Moore, was placed before Monroe for signing. While in Korea for this brief tour, Monroe was photographed with a bandaged thumb on her writing hand, an injury occurring while cutting cake for a serviceman...or inflicted by Joltin’ Joe as he snatched a cup from her hand in anger after being told of his new bride’s plan.
More than 100,000 service men saw the actress perform in Korea, and Monroe often reflected that her trip to Korea was one of the best experiences of her life…and the moment when she realized she was a superstar. Interestingly, the authenticity of this piece was supported by Moore, who was shown this card this year and confirmed that the ID card was indeed signed by her. Although never a major star, Moore had competed for sex symbol status with Monroe in the 1950s, with this being the only known example of both starlets’ signatures on the same object. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$75.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
