Certificate of authenticity (art)

A certificate of authenticity (COA) is a document from the artist or an authority that confirms a specific artwork is genuine. It records the title, artist, date, medium, edition and signature. For digital art, illust's Certificate of AR Placement adds where and when a work was shown in AR, timestamped on a blockchain.

Also known as: COA, certificate of authenticity for art, digital art certificate, Certificate of AR Placement, Geo-Certificate of Authenticity, proof of placement

An illust Certificate of AR Placement for Archana Aneja's Roots & Reality in Austin, Texas, with the artwork and a QR code
Certificate of AR Placement
For Roots & Reality by Archana Aneja, Austin, Texas

How it works

A standard COA lists the artwork's details, an image, edition number, signature and contact information. A Certificate of AR Placement records the artwork, coordinates and date of a placement on-chain, so it documents exhibition history the way catalogs and wall labels do for physical shows.

How it works in illust

illust issues a Certificate of AR Placement with The Collection ($250, digital certificate) and The Portfolio ($500, printed and mailed) placement packages.

Place your art in AR

Key facts

  • Collection and Portfolio placement packages include a Certificate of AR Placement; Portfolio's is printed and mailed (illust placement page).
  • Certificates of AR Placement are recorded on Ethereum, Base or Polygon.

FAQ

What should a certificate of authenticity include?

Artist name, title, year, medium and dimensions or file details, edition number if any, an image of the work, a signature and how to contact the artist.

Is a Certificate of AR Placement the same as a COA?

Related but different: a COA confirms who made a work; a Certificate of AR Placement confirms where and when it was shown. Together they strengthen provenance.

Related terms

Digital art placement (AR placement)Digital art placement means putting a digital artwork, such as an image, animation, video or 3D model, at a real location in augmented reality so it can be seen, photographed and visited there.

More in this topic

AR art (augmented reality art)

AR art is artwork made to be experienced through augmented reality: digital sculptures, animations, sound and video that appear in real places, on physical artworks or on people, seen through a phone or glasses.

AR art exhibition

An AR art exhibition presents artworks in augmented reality, placed in a gallery, park, street or across a city, which visitors view through their phones.

AR marketing (brand activations)

AR marketing uses augmented reality to engage people at a place, event or product, through interactive pop-ups, festival quests, murals that come alive or packaging that plays content.

AR mural

An AR mural is a painted or printed wall that comes to life through a phone: when the camera recognizes the mural, animation, 3D elements or sound appear on and around it.

AR scavenger hunt

An AR scavenger hunt is a game where players find virtual objects or clues placed at real locations or on images, using their phone camera.

Artist statement

An artist statement is a short text, usually 100 to 300 words, that explains what you make, how and why, in your own voice.

By Rob McCarty, co-founder of illust · Last updated October 21, 2026