Understanding Third-Party Grading (TPG)

The role, limitations, and standard operating procedures of major authentication houses.

The "Opinion" Standard

It is critical to understand that TPG companies (PSA/DNA, JSA, Beckett) provide an expert opinion, not an absolute guarantee of authenticity. Their letters explicitly state this limitation.

The Exemplar Library

Agencies rely heavily on internal exemplar libraries—massive databases of known good and bad signatures. When an item is submitted, the examiner compares the physical traits (slant, flow, letter formation) against these internal references.