{{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 Stamp Certificate

Expertization is the process of

authentication Authentication (from ''authentikos'', "real, genuine", from αὐθέντης ''authentes'', "author") is the act of proving an assertion, such as the identity of a computer system user. In contrast with identification, the act of indicati ...

of an object, usually of a sort that is collected, by an individual

authority In the fields of sociology and political science, authority is the legitimate power of a person or group over other people. In a civil state, ''authority'' is practiced in ways such a judicial branch or an executive branch of government.''The N ...

or a committee of authorities. The expert, or expert committee, examines the collectible and issues a certificate typically including: * A statement of: ** Whether or not the item is authentic ** Identification of any damage to the item ** Identification of any repairs to the item ** Identification of any forgery or faked parts of the item * A photo of the item Some experts apply a mark or signature to the item attesting its genuineness. Expertization is particularly common with valuable

philatelic Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is possi ...

items, some of which are so often forged that they may be unsaleable without it.

See also