Authentication Service Nuts and Bolts - I charge $20.00 per relic. Pieces need to be sent to: Jon Dickinson, PO Box 30276, Cincinnati, Ohio 45230. All packages need to be sent with a tracking option, and preferably a signature confirmation. All payments are to include an appropriate amount for return shipping with Insurance/signature confirmation.

What do I authenticate? - Midwest artifacts centered on the State of Ohio, and extending South to Kentucky, West to Missouri, North to Wisconsin, and East to Pennsylvania. I will authenticate all flint, hardstone, and slate. There is a concentration on slate objects, of which I have vast experience. Any out of my area or expertise pieces will be returned without an opinion, and with original payment. I will not take your money for something I have no business authenticating.

What information do I need? - Please include all provenance information that you possess. This includes find locations, year found, finder's name, previous owners, publication information... All COA's will include the name of the person who currently owns the piece.

Specifications - All certificates are 8 1/2" x 5 1/4". They are printed on the highest grade photo paper using a high resolution photo printer. Each certificate is numbered, and copies are stored on a secure hard drive. Each certificate also has a holographic sticker that cannot be reproduced, and several other safety features that will remain hidden.

My theory on authentication - Each piece is looked at using a multi-layered system that involves macroscopic, and microscopic techniques. I will not pass anything that hovers in the grey area. There will no rubber stamping. Each piece will be carefully considered, and if I find that the work load is too much, I will put limits on it. My word cannot be bought, and my hope is that this service can help to clean up this hobby. I don't expect to make friends, but I will remain vigilant, and take the time to explain what I see.

Certificate of Authenticity - Will only be issued for pieces that I did not sell. If you have a piece that I sold in the past, please refer to the Certificate of Origin option.

Certificate of Origin - option with any piece purchased from me. I will produce and deliver this certificate for a charge of $10 to anyone wanting the documentation.

Why do I produce a Certificate of Origin? - I want to put more pressure on myself to always sell authentic artifacts. The certificate of origin tells everyone viewing a piece that Jon Dickinson sold this piece and represented it as authentic. If there are any problems with a piece, it is Jon Dickinson with his name/reputation on the line. I invite scrutiny of the items I sell, and this is one more way I am standing behind everything I sell. In the case of a 3rd Party Certificate of Authenticity, sellers use a 3rd Party to promote a piece as authentic. In too many cases, the COA is a shield for selling a reproduction, b/c the 3rd party authenticator is the one who takes the blame for a bad rock. The seller has effectively insulated himself from the personal responsibility of selling an authentic artifact.

The image below is of the Certificates I produce:

Jon Dickinson

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