There are always seem to be much talk about certificates of authenticity (COA’s) in the autograph world but are they really worth while ?
What is a Certicate of Authenticity ?
A COA is a document usually made to look like a certificate that is provided with an autograph or piece of memorabilia by a dealer to indicate the source of the item and provide a guarantee of authenticity. It will usually contain information about the item in question, some statement of guarantee and contact details of the dealer.
Should I Get a COA when I purchase an autograph ?
Well there is no harm getting a COA with any autograph purchased but dont take this as a guarantee that the signature is genuine. All a COA shows is that the seller has a printer or has had some certificates produced !
Most autographs supplied by dealers are not obtained in person. There are obtained from a variety of sources including through the mail, bought from other dealers or bought as part of a collection. Good dealers use their experience to assess the authenticity of an autograph and will often provide a COA with an autograph to show their confidence in its authenticity.
Unfortunately too many unscrupulous dealers use COA’s as a aid to sell fake autographs to unsuspecting collectors. Our advice would be to not take a COA as a guarantee of the authenticity of an autograph. Before spending money do some research about autograph you are going to buy. Do an image search in Google to find out what the autograph looks like. Ask the dealer for a scan and make sure the autographs match up. Also ask the dealer about any returns policy they make have.
