Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Does a certificate of authenticity mean anything? - Leah Justyce Art Gallery

As and artist who has a Fine Art degree that sells my art worldwide and is a business woman I know there is so much information out there that is pushed into our faces by people who want to make money as opposed to people providing the right information for others. I am putting this blog together about Certificate of Authenticity (COA) to inform artists as well as art buyers.

What is a Certificate of Authenticity in art?

The Certificate of Authenticity for an artwork is a document that contains these facts and it is essential for all sides of the trade. COA is created by the artist, or someone who is an expert of their oeuvre, to help the collectors prove it is genuine and verify its quality.

Can artists create their own Certificate of Authenticity?

Many artists will do this as you can just print one out on Google and sign it. The problem is if the artist can do that then anyone can do that and pretend that they are the artist of the work.

If an artist is promoting that their work comes with a certificate then they should really be validating this with with the proper authorities and not just printing something off Google and signing it. It really is just a useless piece of paper at the end of the day as scammers can offer that same piece of paper. This is about you buying art that is an investment as well as has value to you. You may as well just print images at Harvey Norman yourself if you just want something to hang on your wall with no care about where it comes from. Art really is an investment and can be sold for millions maybe later on down the track so make sure that you are investing in the proper way.