diff --git a/eospy/keys.py b/eospy/keys.py
index 04a83f9..cd0c554 100644
--- a/eospy/keys.py
+++ b/eospy/keys.py
@@ -3,17 +3,20 @@
 import ecdsa
 import re
 from binascii import hexlify, unhexlify
-from .utils import sha256, ripemd160, str_to_hex, hex_to_int
+from .utils import sha256, ripemd160
 from .signer import Signer
 import hashlib
-import time
 import struct
 import array
 
+def get_curve(key_type) :
+    if key_type == 'R1' :
+        return ecdsa.NIST256p
+    return ecdsa.SECP256k1
 
-def check_wif(key):
-    if isinstance(key, str):
-        try:
+def check_wif(key) :
+    if isinstance(key, str) :
+        try :
             EOSKey(key)
             return True
         except Exception as ex:
@@ -26,10 +29,14 @@ def __init__(self, private_str=''):
         ''' '''
         if private_str:
             private_key, format, key_type = self._parse_key(private_str)
-            self._sk = ecdsa.SigningKey.from_string(unhexlify(private_key), curve=ecdsa.SECP256k1)
-        else:
+            self._key_type = key_type
+            self._curve = get_curve(key_type)
+            self._sk = ecdsa.SigningKey.from_string(unhexlify(private_key), curve=self._curve)
+        else :
             prng = self._create_entropy()
-            self._sk = ecdsa.SigningKey.generate(curve=ecdsa.SECP256k1, entropy=prng)
+            self._key_type = 'K1'
+            self._curve = get_curve(self._key_type)
+            self._sk = ecdsa.SigningKey.generate(curve=self._curve, entropy=prng)
         self._vk = self._sk.get_verifying_key()
 
     def __str__(self):
@@ -97,10 +104,10 @@ def _recover_key(self, digest, signature, i):
         ''' Recover the public key from the sig
             http://www.secg.org/sec1-v2.pdf
         '''
-        curve = ecdsa.SECP256k1.curve
-        G = ecdsa.SECP256k1.generator
-        order = ecdsa.SECP256k1.order
-        yp = (i % 2)
+        curve = self._curve.curve
+        G = self._curve.generator
+        order = self._curve.order
+        yp = (i %2)
         r, s = ecdsa.util.sigdecode_string(signature, order)
         x = r + (i // 2) * order
         alpha = ((x * x * x) + (curve.a() * x) + curve.b()) % curve.p()
@@ -112,12 +119,12 @@ def _recover_key(self, digest, signature, i):
         # compute Q
         Q = ecdsa.numbertheory.inverse_mod(r, order) * (s * R + (-e % order) * G)
         # verify message
-        if not ecdsa.VerifyingKey.from_public_point(Q, curve=ecdsa.SECP256k1).verify_digest(signature, digest,
-                                                                                            sigdecode=ecdsa.util.sigdecode_string):
+        if not ecdsa.VerifyingKey.from_public_point(Q, curve=self._curve).verify_digest(signature, digest,
+                                                                                            sigdecode=ecdsa.util.sigdecode_string) :
             return None
-        return ecdsa.VerifyingKey.from_public_point(Q, curve=ecdsa.SECP256k1)
-
-    def _recovery_pubkey_param(self, digest, signature):
+        return ecdsa.VerifyingKey.from_public_point(Q, curve=self._curve)
+        
+    def _recovery_pubkey_param(self, digest, signature) :
         ''' Use to derive a number that will allow for the easy recovery
             of the public key from the signature
         '''
@@ -199,12 +206,12 @@ def sign(self, digest):
                 sigstr = struct.pack('<B', i) + sig
                 break
                 # if self._is_canonical(sigstr):
-                #     break
+                #     break    
             cnt += 1
-            if not cnt % 10:
-                print('Still searching for a signature. Tried {} times.'.format(cnt))
+            if not cnt % 10 :
+                print('Still searching for a signature. Tried {} times.'.format(cnt))        
         # encode
-        return 'SIG_K1_' + self._check_encode(hexlify(sigstr), 'K1').decode()
+        return 'SIG_' + self._key_type + '_' + self._check_encode(hexlify(sigstr), self._key_type).decode()
 
     def verify(self, encoded_sig, digest):
         ''' '''
@@ -212,7 +219,7 @@ def verify(self, encoded_sig, digest):
         encoded_sig = encoded_sig[4:]
         # remove curve prefix
         curvePre = encoded_sig[:3].strip('_')
-        if curvePre != 'K1':
+        if curvePre != self._key_type :
             raise TypeError('Unsupported curve prefix {}'.format(curvePre))
 
         decoded_sig = self._check_decode(encoded_sig[3:], curvePre)
diff --git a/tests/test_sig.py b/tests/test_sig.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19bbcd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_sig.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import sys
+
+sys.path.append('../eospy')
+
+from eospy.cleos import EOSKey
+import hashlib
+
+
+class TestSig:
+    payload = "some important data"
+    digest = hashlib.sha256(payload.encode('utf-8').rstrip()).hexdigest()
+
+    legacy = ("EOS6JWAwA6goJmmAGwQEwbFne8zNxhuVTjgk1aLqVW9efHWhGfvwU",
+              "5JU8RktQ72qFtJyiW3DJ54B2ZY6Ad83HdoGg78Nk8kUNMJEmCUg")
+
+    r1 = ("PUB_R1_65vcmkCEJuxQ2rvYxBZSiUGP9FJPaqMfrLyakHduxEULWcBUxW",
+          "PVT_R1_2sTZXHRWPfgWfn4gTD4bXjVsKRTSYBCekebBgJq1P9SW7ckoXk")
+
+    k1 = ("PUB_K1_6ctHgq55Tt4u3ksvDw1jadhC5tytemHs8fHM4YfFVqMe4F8XWU",
+          "PVT_K1_r9seSVdS9yTRmSXtLrpELLZ5dhbEqr12jLCRg5NJAWr5q8U9o")
+
+    def test_legacy(self):
+        key = EOSKey(self.legacy[1])
+        sig = key.sign(self.digest)
+        assert key.verify(sig, self.digest)
+
+    def test_r1(self):
+        key = EOSKey(self.r1[1])
+        sig = key.sign(self.digest)
+        assert key.verify(sig, self.digest)
+
+    def test_k1(self):
+        key = EOSKey(self.k1[1])
+        sig = key.sign(self.digest)
+        assert key.verify(sig, self.digest)