This chapter provides an overview of forensic document examination. It defines forensic science as the application of scientific techniques to legal investigations. Forensic document examination specifically involves the scientific examination of questioned documents to determine their authenticity, origin, and history. The PNP Questioned Document Examination Division examines questioned documents and provides expert testimony in court. A forensic document examiner studies all aspects of a document, including handwriting, signatures, paper and ink analysis, to determine facts about its preparation and history.

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Forensic Examination of Questioned Documents
(ChapterHouse Publishing Incorporated series in Forensic Sciences)
First Edition
Philippine Copyright, 2013
By: ChapterHouse Publishing Incorporated
All Rights Reserved.
The text of this book or any part hereof, may not be reproduced or
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ISBN: 978-971-95775-4-6

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Table of Contents
DEDICATION........................................................................VII
PREFACE..............................................................................IX
CHAPTER 1
THE FIELD OF FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION............ 1
What is Forensic Science?............................................................ 2
What is Forensic Document Examination?................................... 2
The PNP Questioned Document Examination Division.................. 4
The Forensic Document Examiner............................................... 7
CHAPTER 2
HISTORY OF FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION............. 11
History of Writing...................................................................... 12
History of Forgery...................................................................... 13
Expert Witnesses and Pioneers of Document Examination......... 13
Historical Cases of the Twentieth Century.................................. 15

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CHAPTER 3
DOCUMENTS............................................................................ 21
What Are Documents?............................................................... 22
What Are Questioned Documents?............................................. 22
Nature and Classification of Documents.................................... 23
Proper Care and Handling of Questioned Documents................. 24
Standards of Comparison.......................................................... 27
CHAPTER 4
FORGERY................................................................................. 29
What is Forgery?........................................................................ 30
Indication of Genuineness......................................................... 30
Indication of Forgery.................................................................. 32
Kinds and Methods of Forging.................................................... 33
Techniques of the Forger............................................................ 35
CHAPTER 5
TOOLS, TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES.............................. 37
Techniques Used in the Examination of
Questioned Documents...................................................... 39
Procedure in Examining Questioned Documents........................ 40
Instruments and Equipment in Forensic
Document Examination..................................................... 43
Photography in Forensic Document Examination....................... 50
CHAPTER 6
WRITING MATERIALS, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT................... 53
Paper......................................................................................... 54
Brief History of Paper............................................................. 54
Types of Paper........................................................................ 54
Properties of Paper................................................................. 56
Examination of Paper............................................................. 56
Writing Instruments.................................................................. 58
Pencils.................................................................................... 58

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Ink.......................................................................................... 59
Typewriters and Printers............................................................ 59
CHAPTER 7
HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION............................................ 61
What Is Handwriting?................................................................ 62
What Is Handwriting Identification?........................................... 62
The Process Underlying Handwriting Identification.................... 63
Five Intricacies or Complexities of Handwriting.......................... 64
What is Handwriting System?.................................................... 65
Individual Characteristics in Handwriting.................................. 67
Variations in Handwriting.......................................................... 68
Factors That Affect Handwriting................................................. 68
CHAPTER 8
FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF HANDWRITING........................ 71
Systematic Examination of Handwriting..................................... 72
Handwriting and Hand Printing Examination............................. 74
Different Structures of Letter Design.......................................... 88
Disguised Writing.................................................................... 114
CHAPTER 9
FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF
QUESTIONED SIGNATURES................................................... 117
What Is a Signature?............................................................... 118
Kinds of Signature................................................................... 119
Stroke Structure of Signatures................................................. 119
What Is Signature Identification?............................................. 120
Classification of Suspect Signatures........................................ 122
Indications of Forgery.............................................................. 123
Characteristics of a Genuine Signature.................................... 125
Standards of Comparison........................................................ 125
Suggested Steps in the Examination of Signatures................... 128
Methodology of Forgery............................................................ 128

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CHAPTER 10
FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF ALTERATION......................... 139
Alteration................................................................................ 140
Kinds of Alteration................................................................... 140
Obliteration............................................................................. 142
Erasure................................................................................... 142
Indented Writing...................................................................... 143
Elements of Proof..................................................................... 143
Methods of Alteration............................................................... 145
Points to Consider in Alterations.............................................. 145
CHAPTER 11
FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY... 147
What is Counterfeiting?........................................................... 148
The Evolution of the Philippine Currency................................. 148
Philippine Peso Banknotes:
The New Generation Currency (NGC) Series..................... 152
Protecting the Philippine Currency........................................... 160
CHAPTER 12
FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF TYPEWRITING....................... 161
What is a Typewriter?.............................................................. 162
What is Typewriting Identification?.......................................... 162
Techniques in Typewriting Identification.................................. 163
Kinds of Typewriter ................................................................. 164
Determining Document Genuineness....................................... 164
Typewriter Defects................................................................... 164
Parts of Typewriter................................................................... 170
CHAPTER 13
FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF PRINTED AND
PHOTOCOPIED DOCUMENTS................................................ 171
Examination of Computer-Generated Documents..................... 172
Examination of Photocopied Documents.................................. 174

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CHAPTER 14
PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE IN COURT............................ 177
Presentation of Handwriting Evidence...................................... 178
Presentation of Other Evidence in QD...................................... 180
CHAPTER 15
PHILIPPINE LAWS ON QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS............... 183
Revised Penal Code – Crimes Against Public Interest................ 184
Revised Penal Code – Crimes against Public Interest................ 189
GLOSSARY.............................................................................. 199
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................... 205

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THE FIELD OF FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
CHAPTER 1
THE FIELD OF FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the student will be able to:
•
Define forensic science and forensic document
examination
•
Enumerate the functions of the PNP Questioned
Document Examination Division
•
Describe the work of a forensic document examiner
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Forensic Examination of Questioned Documents
What is Forensic Science?
Broadly speaking, forensic science is the application of scientific
techniques and principles in order to provide evidence to legal or related
investigations and determinations. In simpler terms, it can be defined
as science as it pertains to legal problems. For example, DNA typing
and the identification of drugs involve the use of specialized scientific
equipment by personnel with science degrees. However, there are also
difficulties in this definition such as when the detection of fingerprints
at a crime scene is conducted by a police officer who does not have a
science degree. In fact, recent court cases in the U.S.A. have questioned
whether there truly is a scientific principle underlying the discipline of
forensic science (Tilstone, Savage, & Clark, 2006).
Criminalistics, or the application of forensic science to criminal
matters, should be distinguished from the term criminology, or the
social science study of crime and criminal behavior. In practice,
criminalistics applies science to the solution of crimes through the
examination of physical evidence in the field or the crime laboratory.
Examples of such physical evidence include hairs, fibers, latent
fingerprints, and biological material. The strength of criminalistics lies
in the reliability and objectivity of scientific testing (Fisher, Tilstone, &
Woytowicz, 2009).
What is Forensic Document Examination?
The American Board of Forensic Document Examiners defines
forensic document examination as the practice of the application
of document examination to the purposes of the law. This includes
the identification of handwriting, typewriting, the authenticity of
signatures, alterations in documents, the significance of inks and
papers, photocopying processes, writing instruments, sequence of
writings and other elements of a document in relation to its authenticity
or spuriousness (Eckert, 1997).
Forensic document examination is also usually called questioned
document examination or scientific examination of questioned
documents. In the Philippines, crime laboratories and popular media
refer to it simply as “QD” as short for “questioned documents.” It
is also known by other names such as handwriting examination or
handwriting analysis. It should, however, be distinguished from
graphology, which is the study of handwriting to identify the writer’s
personality traits. Forensic document examiners do not engage in
personality identification via a study of handwriting.
The terms forensic document examination and questioned
document examination will be used interchangeably in this textbook to

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THE FIELD OF FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
refer to the task of answering questions about a disputed document
using a variety of scientific processes and methods.
These questions may include the following: Is the document
authentic? Was anything added to or removed from the document?
Does the handwriting belong to the individual or the typescript to a
particular machine? What is the age of the document? If the document
has been altered, can we recover any of the original? Analyses are
conducted in order to answer these questions and be able to determine
who created or what device was used to create it, what changes have
occurred since its original production, and if it is as old as it purports
to be.
Examinations include the following:
• Handwriting and signature comparisons
• Detection of alterations, deletions, and substitutions
• Mechanical and electronic impression comparisons
• Detection of counterfeits
• Decipherment of obliterated text
• Examination of water-soaked, charred, stained, or torn
documents
• Ink and paper comparison
• Determination of sequence of entry
• Detection and analysis of indented and other accidental
writings
• Age of documents
A combination of examination techniques may be required
depending on the questions raised about the integrity and method
of production of the questioned document. Examples of questioned
documents submitted for such examinations include the following:
• Wills
• Checks
• Credit card receipts
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Forensic Examination of Questioned Documents
• Business contracts
• Marriage contracts
• Birth certificates
• Mortgages, deeds of land, transfers, and leases
• Insurance applications
• Agreements
• Accounting ledgers and financial records
• Anonymous and threatening letters
• Suicide notes
• Tests and examinations
• Medical charts
• Diaries, agendas, and appointment books
• Legal files
The PNP Questioned Document Examination Division
The Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory Group
includes the Questioned Document Examination Division (QDED),
which aims to provide scientific support in forms of documentary
and testimonial evidences. Their function to examine questioned
documents specifically includes the following:
1. Handwriting examination – including hand lettering (such
as anonymous letters, ransom notes and suicide notes) and
signatures (such as those appearing in deeds of absolute sale,
receipts, marriage contracts and land titles)
2. Imprint examination – including those produced by manual
devices (rubber stamps, dater stamps and some cancellation
stamps), mechanical devices (typewriters and cheque writers),
and electronic printing devices, (typewriters, computer printers,
time clocks and cash registers); also includes those produced
by the manufacture of counterfeits (currencies, negotiable

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THE FIELD OF FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
instruments, travel documents, licenses, and various personal
credentials and identification documents)
3. Writing media examination – including instruments, inks and
papers
4. Dating examination – including absolute determinations (e.g.,
dates of introduction of products) and relative determination
(e.g., erasures or alterations), changes, insertions and
substitutions
5. Examination of falsification and alterations – including
removals (e.g., erasures or alterations), changes, insertions and
substitutions
6. Examination of invisible, faded and obscured writings and
impressions of writings
7. Examination of preternatural paper characteristics – including
tears, fasteners (e.g., paper clips and staples), cuts and
perforations
8. Miscellaneous examination – including envelope tampering,
adhesives, laminations, typist’s characteristics and linguistics
9. Conduct lectures to PNP, AFP and other government agencies
10. Conduct field laboratory works – questioned document
examiners are sent to agencies/offices to conduct examination
and to photograph original documents that cannot be submitted
to the PNP Crime Laboratory
11. Attend court duties
Document examinations performed by the PNP-QDED are based
on written requests from government agencies, private investigating
agencies, court orders, as well as private requesting parties. However,
documents previously examined by any competent government agency
are not reexamined unless ordered by the court of law. If the case is
undergoing trial in court, disputed documents are examined only upon
order of the court having jurisdiction of the case.
The PNP Crime Laboratory provides frontline services for the
examination of questioned documents. Below is a table showing the
requirements for the conduct of examination based on the PNP Citizen’s
Charter (PNP, 2009).
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Forensic Examination of Questioned Documents
PNP CRIME
LAB SERVICE
1. Examination
of altered
or erased
documents
2. Examination
of counterfeit
bills
3. Handwriting
Identification
4. Signature
Identification
DOCUMENTARY
REQUIREMENTS
FEES
DURATION
P2,000
4 working
days
• Four copies of letter
request
• Original copy of altered/
erased document
P2,000
3 working
days
• Four copies of letter
request
• Original of the
questioned bills
P3,500
P2,000
10 working
days
• Four copies of letter
request
• Original of the
questioned document
• Original copy of at least
five pages of extended
handwriting of similar
writing style of subject
individual
10 working
days
• Four copies of letter
request
• Original of the
questioned document
• Original copy of at
least eight different
documents bearing
similar writing style and
standard signatures,
executed five years
before and after the
execution of the
questioned signature
(Fees and Duration Reflect Rates as of October 2013)
Other chapters in this textbook include information based on
the PNP’s adherence to the highest professional standards of ethics
as questioned document examiners. In Chapter 5, for example, the
techniques and procedures used by the PNP-QDED in examining
questioned documents will be enumerated. The same chapter also
includes tools and equipment used in the PNP Crime Laboratory.

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THE FIELD OF FORENSIC DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
The Forensic Document Examiner
In past decades experts in
the area of analyzing documents
were generally referred to as
questioned document examiners.
Sometimes they are also called
forensic
scientists,
document
examiners, document experts,
handwriting experts, or by a
combination of these and other
descriptions. Today, they are more
commonly referred as forensic
document examiners. For purposes
of this book, however, the terms forensic document examiners and
questioned document examiners will both be used.
Forensic document examiners or a questioned document
examiners refer to persons who study all aspects of a document to
determine its authenticity, origin, handwriting, photocopies, inks
and papers. Unlike the typical law enforcement officer, they do not
conduct crime scene searches, street investigations, interviews or
interrogations. Their work does not involve face-to-face encounters
with the street reality of crime and its victims, witnesses and suspects.
Forensic document examiners are basically laboratory investigators.
The profession of forensic document examination did not
develop as an extension of other scientific professions such as medicine,
chemistry or engineering. Instead, it evolved within the legal system
due to the courts’ need for assistance in interpreting evidence relating
to questioned documents (Kelly & Lindblom, 2006).
The goal of a forensic document examiner is to study and
investigate documents in order to determine the facts about their
preparation and history. The work usually involves the examination of
handwriting, but the forensic document examiner’s scope of expertise
also includes the following:
• Recognizing genuineness
• Analyzing colortone of inks, papers, and other substances
that comprise documents
• Revealing additions and substitutions
• Restoring or deciphering erased and obliterated writing
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