One of the most complex things to explain to newer autograph collectors is to explain what a certificate of authenticity (COA) is what what value it holds. The problem lies in explaining what a COA is and what it is not. At their best, for the most part, a COA is the hobby equivalent of the TSA in that is presents an illusion of security. The first thing that must be clarified is that a COA is not a legal document, regardless of its wording. Novice collectors tend to fall victim to the…