Autograph Certificate of Authenticity

An autograph certificate of authenticity (COA) is used to insure the authenticity of a signed item to be a genuine signature and enhance the value of what the autograph is worth.


My main concern with most COA's is they are highly dependent on the person issuing the certificate. Their reputation and credibility, or lack thereof, is a determining factor when I consider a signed item.

Like most things, I've learned this lesson the hard way. I have many pieces that I purchased years ago with what I thought were solid certificates of authenticity. Well, the company that issued them is no longer in business. Uh-oh.



Fortunately with the advent of tamper-proof holograms used by the majority of large autograph and sports memorabilia retailers, along with independent forensic authentication such as PSA/DNA, the issues of dealing with COA's is easier to deal with. You want to look for items that have holograms with serial numbers that match a certificate of authenticity.

The bottom line relative to COA's is know who is issuing it, and that it has a lifetime money-back guarantee if the item happens to be determined to be inauthentic by a third-party authenticator when looking for Sports Memorabilia.

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