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Author
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Topic: "Gold standard" of space artifact authentications
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Indy500
Member Posts: 24
From: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Registered: Jun 2015
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posted 06-28-2015 08:52 PM
   
Is there a list somewhere of certificates or letters of authenticity you can trust? I've got my own small list from reading this site for hundreds of hours, but it would seem like a real service if we could produce a list of the "gold standard" of companies or people that sign COAs or LOAs.For example, I'm looking at something with a COA from "Century Concept International." I can't find them on the web and it seems like there is only *one* post on this site from them. Do people here trust a COA from them? What about "historybytheinch" on eBay? To help start, here's my "gold list" so far (remember, I'm new): - Obviously signed by an astronaut!
- Williamson
- Miner
- Underwood
- Havekotte
- spaceflori.com
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SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-28-2015 09:18 PM
There are very few COAs I would consider "rock solid" particularly if they aren't also unconditionally backed up by a 100 percent guarantee. Even some COAs signed out by astronauts have been subject to error. In general, independent corroboration of an artifacts provenance with either separate intrinsic and/or circumstantial attributes are essential to high confidence authentication (a good COA will also lay those out). |
Lev M
Member Posts: 139
From: Canada
Registered: Nov 2012
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posted 06-28-2015 10:16 PM
Steve Zarelli for the autographs. |
Indy500
Member Posts: 24
From: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Registered: Jun 2015
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posted 06-28-2015 10:17 PM
Scott - first off, what an incredible collection you have! Second, I'm not sure how to reply to your comment.You are obviously correct in everything you said. Maybe I've set the bar too high. I guess, as a newbie, I'm just looking for COAs that I can *generally* trust as legitimate as opposed to something from "John Doe" that's a complete fraud.
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Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-28-2015 10:28 PM
Trust in the artifact and its provenance more so than in a piece of paper is what I believe in. |
Indy500
Member Posts: 24
From: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Registered: Jun 2015
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posted 06-28-2015 11:34 PM
Isn't an artifact's provenance usually in the form of a "piece of paper"? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-29-2015 02:44 AM
The paper is only the documentation of the provenance; the real provenance is the information. While there are some pieces (mostly fragments) that only have a signature as provenance, as you move onto complete artifacts, you begin to deal with chain of ownership, serial and part number histories, photographic and film footage records and first-hand testimonies. All of these comprise the provenance of an item. |
Chuckster01
Member Posts: 873
From: Orlando, FL
Registered: Jan 2014
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posted 06-29-2015 05:13 AM
The U.S. Walk of Fame Foundation is selling a number of items in an attempt to raise money for a permanent home for the museum. We are issuing CoAs with every astronaut owned and signed item being sold. All these items are authentic and we have a number of items donated by astronauts for our sale. I hope in the future a SWoF certificate of authenticity will join that list of rock solid provenance that you can trust. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-29-2015 07:44 AM
Granted I'm thinking more about autographs than artifacts, but there are some people whom I trust without a doubt when it comes to autographs, and with which there is no COA. But I know either where they worked, what their reputation is like and/or what contacts they have - that's the kind of provenance I trust over a piece of paper. Have they/can they be wrong? Sure. But I've asked questions when I wasn't sure on something, and their answers have appeased me. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-29-2015 07:54 AM
Or in terms of artifacts, I have one of the "Soyuz 100 flights" patches from Soyuz TMA-13, unflown, from one of the astronauts. Say you want it but are worried that it might be a knockoff (even though knockoffs are not known to exist, and the only known way to get one is from one of the astronauts associated with that flight.)A LOA would essentially be meaningless, since you have no idea who the heck I am. But I can give you provenance — I can say, at the time I was a journalist and interviewed many astronauts or wrote about them. I can give you copies of the article I wrote, maybe even if you really really wanted it, I can try to dig out my expense report I filed or the business card given me, or the email that I received OK'ing the interview with said astronaut. That's provenance. |
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