Letter of Authenticity (LOA) Highly sought after by collectors, dealers and hobbyists alike, JSA's standard LOA contains a digital color image of the item and live signature of autograph expert James Spence, which is witnessed by a licensed notary public. Additional data may include quantity of signatures, manufacturer, make &/or model of the item. It accompanies any item that passes JSA's authentication process and qualifies for the standard letter. A certification label is placed on the item or letter (customer preference) with the corresponding number appearing on the LOA. It is accepted by any major auction house in the country and is viewed as THE letter to have when either displaying your prized possession or offering it online. To maximize the value and interest of your signed collectible, one should have a James Spence Authentication LOA. The Certification Process Each item is methodically examined and reviewed individually by each of JSA's authenticators to ensure their expert instinctive impressions are in agreement. This intuitive sense has been developed after many years of examining thousands of autographs. The expert is extremely familiar with many different variations and evolution of an individual's signature and can quickly identify irregularities evident in a clubhouse, secretarial, or forged signature. Second, the expert more closely examines each and every component and letter of an autograph, paying close attention to characteristics such as signature flow, style, spontaneity, letter angle, etc. In most cases, this process performed separately by each authenticator will quickly eliminate the vast majority of non-authenticate autographs. In cases where closer examination is required, James Spence Authentication employs a high-technology authentication tool to reinforce the expert's findings. The Video Spectral Comparator is a powerful workstation designed to examine questionable documents and autographs using sophisticated color and infrared imaging, magnification, coaxial lighting, side lighting, and on-screen, side-by-side or overlaid autograph comparisons. The VSC detects erasures, reveals masked and obliterated signatures, differences in ink types, and several other features useful for autograph forgery detection. The authenticators then collaborate and employ a scoring system for the final determination of an item's authenticity. Certified items are then given a registration number and the tamper-evident label is applied to either the item itself. Items that fail JSA's strict examination standards for certification are returned with a failure letter detailing the inconsistencies.
The Certification Process
Each
item is methodically examined and reviewed individually by each of
JSA's authenticators to ensure their expert instinctive impressions are
in agreement. This intuitive sense has been developed after many years
of examining thousands of autographs. The expert is extremely familiar
with many different variations and evolution of an individual's
signature and can quickly identify irregularities evident in a
clubhouse, secretarial, or forged signature.
Second,
the expert more closely examines each and every component and letter of
an autograph, paying close attention to characteristics such as
signature flow, style, spontaneity, letter angle, etc. In most cases,
this process performed separately by each authenticator will quickly
eliminate the vast majority of non-authenticate autographs. In cases
where closer examination is required, James Spence Authentication
employs a high-technology authentication tool to reinforce the expert's
findings. The Video Spectral Comparator is a powerful workstation
designed to examine questionable documents and autographs using
sophisticated color and infrared imaging, magnification, coaxial
lighting, side lighting, and on-screen, side-by-side or overlaid
autograph comparisons. The VSC detects erasures, reveals masked and
obliterated signatures, differences in ink types, and several other
features useful for autograph forgery detection. |
The authenticators then collaborate and employ a scoring system for the final determination of an item's authenticity. Certified items are then given a registration number and the tamper-evident label is applied to either the item itself. Items that fail JSA's strict examination standards for certification are returned with a failure letter detailing the inconsistencies.
James Spence has the universal respect and approval of auctioneers, dealers, and collectors worldwide with his accurate authentication expertise. A third generation autograph collector , his knowledge and exposure has its roots in over thirty years of hobby experience. Spence is a 1982 graduate from Iona College of New York with a double major in International Business and French. A New Jersey native, he has opined for virtually every major auction house in the country. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of the Treasury (IRS) have depended on Spence as their sports authentication adviser and asked for his assistance during past investigations. Law enforcement and insurance carriers have placed their trust in Spence to assist in their analysis. Mr. Spence has successfully completed certification in Forensic Document Examination. Dealers have also relied on his knowledge, experience and integrity for some of the highest valued, historically significant and rarest signed artifacts in existence. Countless collectors have sought the reassurance that their investments will retain marketability when the time is right to divest of their holdings. It has long been the industry's choice to secure a James Spence Authentication Letter of Authenticity.