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Digital Certificates of Authenticty for Art
EBSQ Digital Certificates of Authenticity
Have you received a certificate of authenticity from an EBSQ Artist? You can use the tool to look the COA up and verify its authenticity. After verifying the COA, you should lock it to further protect it (free patron registration required)
About Certificates of Authenticity (COAs)
- What are EBSQ Certificates of Authenticity?
- EBSQ provides tools and a framework to its member-artists to create and maintain certificates of authenticity for their artwork. Tools are also provided for Patrons to manage their EBSQ Certificates online.
- Why should I validate my Certificate?
- Validation prevents the same COA from being sent to multiple individuals. Since it can only be validated by one person at a time, it will raise red flags if others try to validate the same COA.
- When I try to validate my COA - the site asks me to 'Register'. Why?
- We apologize for this seemingly intrusive demand. Initially it was our intention to have visitors validate/maintain each of their COAs with the COA number and a chosen password - but it quickly became apparent that this would be a maintenance nightmare not only for our patrons, but also for EBSQ.
- The benefit is being able to maintain all of your COAs from one central location (via a login and password) and keep your information secure.
- Registration is easy--and free!
- What makes EBSQ Certificates different and of value to the collector?
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- EBSQ's Certificates are digital. This allows the owner to verify that the certificate they receive is legitimate by using a concept of validation.
- Each certificate has a Digital ID and Validation Code. Being digital and verifiable provides a great layer of protection that we feel is impossible to circumvent. A COA can only be validated by one person at a time, which prevents the same COA number from being used twice. (The COA can always be viewed online even after it is validated and 'locked').
- Our Certificates cannot be forged. The COA ID can only be generated by artists at EBSQ. When validating a COA, the visitor will be presented with an image of the work and other details pertinent to the art.
- Our Certificates can be transferred to a new owner if you ever decide to re-sell your art purchase. Our certificates can be unlocked prior to transfer. This way, a new recipient can be assured that the COA is legitimate.
- What do these certificates look like and how can I tell if mine is authentic?
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Showing the work of Mindy GoldmanThe crux of an EBSQ Certificate of Authenticity is its ID Number and Validation Code. Regardless of what the certificate actually looks like, to be authentic it must carry these two numbers and must be verifiable using the validation tool above.
COAs created by our member-artists using tools at EBSQ have the following components.
- An image of the artwork for which the COA represents.
- Details about the art. This should include the name of the artist, title, dimensions, date of the work, and the type of work (i.e. original, reproduction, etc.). If the type of work is a reproduction, the edition number should appear here also.
- An area for the artist to sign and date the COA.
- The COA ID and the validation code.
- I didn't receive a COA with the art I purchased. Is this a problem?
- In general, no. EBSQ doesn't require our member-artists to provide COAs. We do, however, strongly encourage all artists to provide some form of COA (even a personal hand-written note) and all buyers to request such documentation.