Autograph Authentication Process Flashcards
6 cards from real PSA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Autograph Authentication Process flashcards as text
When PSA authenticates a ball signed by multiple players, how is each signature handled?
Answer: Each individual signature is independently authenticated and noted, with specific non-authentic signatures identified
PSA authenticates each signature on a multi-signed ball independently, noting which players' signatures pass authentication and flagging any specific signatures that do not meet authentication standards.
What is witnessed authentication in PSA's service offerings?
Answer: PSA staff are present when the item is signed, providing the highest level of authentication certainty
Witnessed authentication occurs when PSA representatives are physically present at the moment of signing, creating an unbreakable chain of custody and the highest possible level of authentication certainty.
How does PSA handle an autograph submitted framed behind glass?
Answer: PSA requires the item to be removed from framing for proper examination
PSA requires items to be removed from framing or other obstructions before submission so that graders can physically examine the signature up close, under magnification, and with various lighting techniques.
A vintage baseball is submitted with a signature attributed to a Hall of Famer who died in 1972. What factor most helps PSA authenticate the signature?
Answer: The depth and size of PSA's reference exemplar database for that specific player
For deceased athletes, the quality and depth of PSA's exemplar database is the most critical factor, as more reference signatures from across the player's career provide more comparison points for accurate authentication.
What is a signature variation and why does it matter in PSA authentication?
Answer: Natural differences in a signer's own authentic signatures due to circumstances, speed, and surface; important because slight variations do not indicate forgery
Signature variations are natural, expected differences in an individual's own signatures due to circumstances such as rushed versus deliberate signings, writing surface, pen type, and physical state. PSA accounts for these variations to avoid incorrectly flagging genuine signatures.
PSA uses the term No Opinion (NO) for some submitted autographs. What does this mean?
Answer: PSA cannot reach a definitive conclusion about authenticity due to insufficient exemplars or inconclusive evidence
No Opinion means PSA's authenticators cannot make a definitive determination about the signature's authenticity, typically due to insufficient reference exemplars, a signature in unusual condition, or conflicting evidence.