Are these 2 examples ifthe one man's signature???

[anabanana]

Hello rootschatters!  I would like some expert opinions on the following two signatures. 

The right hand signature features that of my gg grandfather....while the lefthand image's signature is from, I believe, the same man, 7 years later. 

What do you think?

[PrueM]

Hi anabanana

Yes, I would say they are the same.  There are enough similarities amongst the differences, if that makes sense.

Cheers
Prue

[Rufous Treecreeper]

I think they are probably the same person too.

Mo

[GR2]

Signatures in general can be very variable, both in terms of the writing and whether the full Christian name is given or just an initial. I have even some examples where the same person signs in full on one occasion and puts an X mark on another. Sometimes it is just down to the state of the nib on the pen!

Graham.

[bristolloggerheads]

As long as you're not looking at the same clerk's writing....

[GR2]

In Scotland what you see on a birth or death certificate, as here, are the actual signatures of the informants.

Graham.

[Jock McTartan]

They look very similar to me - most of the flourishes are the same between them

[anabanana]

Thanks so much all   

The next sight I get of Donald's signature is in the next birth certificate, of his daughter (1874), and he seems to have added more of a flourish to the capital D ... and he also writes Mac, as opposed to Mc.

Also, his marriage certificate (1869) doesn't seem to help - the whole thing looks like its been written by one hand, ie the registrar.