Memorabilia Authentication 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 Memorabilia Authentication flashcards as text
Which of the following is typically NOT submitted to PSA for authentication?
Answer: Unsigned equipment
PSA authenticates autographed items and signed documents. Unsigned equipment lacks a signature to authenticate, making it outside PSA's core authentication scope.
What is a cut signature in memorabilia, and why are they especially scrutinized during PSA authentication?
Answer: A signature on a card that was cut from a larger piece of paper; scrutinized because the paper source and provenance are harder to verify
A cut signature is an autograph that has been cut from a larger piece such as a letter, check, or document and mounted. They receive extra scrutiny because the paper provenance is difficult to verify and the risk of forgery is higher.
PSA's Authentic, Altered designation for memorabilia most commonly refers to what type of modification?
Answer: Items where a signature has been enhanced or retouched with additional ink
Authentic, Altered most commonly applies when PSA detects that an original authentic signature has been retouched, enhanced, or gone over with additional ink, compromising the signature's integrity.
How does PSA handle authentication requests for signatures from athletes who are deceased?
Answer: PSA applies the same process using historical exemplars from their reference database
PSA authenticates deceased athletes' signatures using the same visual examination process, comparing submitted signatures against historical exemplars in their reference database collected during the athlete's lifetime.
What is the significance of a PSA Time Period notation on an authenticated item?
Answer: It indicates the approximate era during which the signature was likely applied based on ink and style analysis
A PSA Time Period notation indicates the approximate historical era when the signature was applied, based on analysis of the ink type, pen technology, and signature style characteristics, not an exact date.
A collector submits a signed helmet for PSA authentication and PSA returns it as Non-Authentic. What does this mean?
Answer: PSA believes the signature is a forgery, not signed by the purported individual
A Non-Authentic designation means PSA's experts determined the signature does not match the known characteristics of the purported signer and is likely a forgery.