1737–1793 · Founders

John Hancock signature

Boston merchant and President of the Continental Congress (1737–1793)

Inspired by John Hancock’s signature

A rendering in a modern handwriting font, made for this page. It is not the real signature; see where to view the original below. Where to see the original ↓Style: Mrs Saint Delafield, slant 10°

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Mrs Saint Delafield · 10°

Who John Hancock was

John Hancock (1737–1793) was a wealthy Boston merchant who became a leader of the patriot cause in Massachusetts. He was President of the Second Continental Congress when it adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and later the first elected Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The story of the signature

As President of Congress, Hancock was the one name on the first printed Declaration, the broadside John Dunlap printed in Philadelphia on the night of July 4, 1776, where it appears with the attestation of the secretary, Charles Thomson.

On the engrossed parchment, signed by most delegates on August 2, Hancock signed first. His signature sits in the center, above the state groups, and is by far the largest, with tall looped capitals and a flourished paraph beneath.

A popular story says he wrote it large so that King George III could read it without his spectacles. There is no contemporary evidence for this; it is a later anecdote. What is documented is the result: by the nineteenth century “John Hancock” had become American slang for a signature, as in “put your John Hancock here”.

What makes it distinctive

Size

It is the largest signature on the Declaration, placed where the eye falls first.

Looped capitals

The J and the H are tall and open, with loops that sweep into the lowercase.

The paraph

A fluid flourish beneath the name, of the kind many merchants and officials of his day added to their signatures.

How to give your signature a similar feel

Mrs Saint Delafield on the Type tab of the signature generator gives tall loops and a confident sweep. Raise Size and set Slant to around 10°.
Make the capitals of both names at least twice the height of the lowercase, and let the loop of each capital run into the next letter.
When you sign on the Draw tab, finish with one curving stroke under your name. Practice it until it becomes part of the signature rather than an afterthought.
Be practical about size. A signature as large as Hancock’s will not fit most forms, so keep the big version for letters and certificates and a smaller one for everyday use.

Where to see the original

These links lead to archives, libraries, museums and Wikimedia Commons.

Questions about John Hancock’s signature

Why is a signature called a “John Hancock”?

Because his signature on the Declaration of Independence is the largest and best known. The expression became common American slang in the nineteenth century.

Did Hancock sign big so King George could read it?

That is a later anecdote. There is no contemporary evidence for it, so treat it as legend.

Was Hancock the first to sign the Declaration?

Yes. As President of Congress he signed first, and his name, attested by secretary Charles Thomson, was the one printed on the broadside issued in July 1776.