The first signer of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, said, when he wrote his name to the great historic document, "They may not know who I am, but they will not forget my signature." Then, with a flourish, he wrote his name at the head of the list with such bold and precise strokes that, from that time forward, the name of John Hancock has become synonymous with the word, "signature."

However, when we think of the word, "signature," we are aware of more than mere penmanship. In John Hancock’s case we are acutely aware of a man who had the courage of his convictions. By placing his name in large and bold letters on the Declaration of Independence, he declared that his heart and soul, his fortune and energy, his mind and devotion were beh…