Signed Charles Dickens book, please help!

Hi,
Just going through my books, found this one that I bought some time back.
I don’t know anything about collecting books, but I found this portrait in V&A museum, London, and wonder if anyone can recognise the signature on the first page and what is it written. I am sure is hand written, the ink shines in the light. The signature under the portrait I was told that was Charles Dickens’s signature, but it’s printed as far as I can tell.
Any idea about the value, or anything you can say, is it a first edition etc?
Thank you.
Simona
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1258969/charles-dickens-print-j-watkins/

 

The Dickens signature is what's called a "facsimile signature" and you are correct that it's a printed reproduction.

Debora

 

As to the recipient, I see "Francis C. Swifte."

Debora

 

Is it saying
“From her friend….”?

 

"From her friend Walter"

Debora

 

That’s nice, little romance going on perhaps

 

Is the last bit Walter’s signature?

 

Here's the Advanced Search page on a reputable used book site. You can search for a you copy here.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchEntry?cm_sp=TopNav-_-Home-_-Advs

Debora

 

I don't see Walter's signature. A couple penned flourishes and some initial letters which might be a private code or something else. Looks like "B.S. / M" to my eye.

Debora

 

Thank you, I have searched it, could not find any that is published in 1869. Does it matter the year was published? In terms of adding value to the book?

Thank you.

 

The Charles Dickens Edition?

 

Yes, I am listening

 

The date matters most of all (in most cases). I am no Dickens expert, but I know David Copperfield was published in book form for the first time in 1850, and two or three editions later Dickens wrote a new preface for, "The Chas. Dickens's Edition". I think this a later printing of that edition.
If Francis and Walter were "someone", it would add to the value, otherwise the writing detracts. How's the binding, etc? Have you checked abebooks as suggested above?

 

Here are completed listings for David Copperfield published by Chapman and Hall on eBay UK. You may find your volume there.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...50&_nkw=david+copperfield+chapman+hall&_sop=3

Debora

 

Thank you for passing this knowledge. I had searched for Francis name in few websites, found few matching names, but no one famous yet. For Walters we don’t have the full name, so there could not be any further search. Unless someone recognise the writing or the signature, it would probably remain as a little romance
The book was in a bad shape, and I had it rebound and cleaned, tried to save it, the job they did is not amazing, but it keeps the book together and it’s cleaned and can be read. This is what mattered to me at the time.
Thank you Debora as well, I did find it on EBay, looking at the prices, it will better stay with me, the rebound and cleaning cost me more than what it is selling for. I did my part trying to save it, what’s next who knows.
Thank you all.
Kind regards,
Simona