With every item passing through our verification checkpoints, we begin by examining the property to determine whether it is the genuine article. From there, we establish the most appropriate pathway and methodology for understanding its provenance, origin and historical significance. At each checkpoint, we apply the most advanced methods available to develop an accurate, evidence-based assessment of the item.
Verification is more than identifying what an object appears to be. It requires examining the characteristics that distinguish the authentic article: construction, materials, manufacturing methods, markings, documented history, condition and, where appropriate, comparison against reliable archival or authenticated references. These findings are considered collectively, allowing the evidence surrounding an item to build progressively rather than relying upon any single characteristic, document or claim of provenance.
Authentication takes that examination further by establishing how the available evidence relates to the item's claimed identity and history. Provenance records, photographic and archival material, production characteristics, documented examples and other relevant sources may each contribute to this process. The methodology is tailored to the property being examined, with the objective of developing a clear and defensible evidentiary path from the physical item to the conclusion ultimately reached.
Only when an item has passed through both the Verify and Authentication checkpoints can valuation be approached within its proper context. Condition is considered alongside rarity, provenance, historical significance, market history, comparable examples and other characteristics relevant to the appraiser's analysis. This allows us to determine not simply what an item may be worth, but whether the qualities established through examination support a value enhancement beyond that of a more conventional example.
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