80 Ways to Spell Shakespeare

Even William Shakespeare never settled on a consistent spelling of his name. His contemporaries recorded over 80 different versions, including "Shappere" and "Shaxberd." Interestingly, none of his 15 surviving autographs use the spelling "William Shakespeare" as we know it today-and no two spellings are alike. Of these, only six autographs exist across four documents, all housed in museums. As a result, his signature is now considered one of the rarest in the world.

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