- A short description of the philatelic item being documented;
- Provenance statements about auction offers from previous years, often special auctions for a famous collection („named sales“), with informations about the dealer- or auction- house, date of sale, excerpts from sales descriptions, sale or estimated prices and prices realized (where available). Reference will also be made to any illustrations in philatelic books, magazines or specific publications.
- Special items of interest such as when a stamp had its origin in a larger multiple previously recorded, or where a neighbouring stamp that was formerly attached to, has likewise been separately recorded.
- Rarity– comments, for example, on the number of comparable items that have already been recorded.
- Illustrations of the philatelic item to complement the short description and identification. This may not always be an actual photo. Reference to illustrations out of old auction catalogues may be given.
All information is in English. Of course, the Provenance-Certificate can only pass on information currently known to the writer. In no way can the Provenance-Certificate be taken as confirmation of authenticity or quality of the item being documented. For those purposes a Certificate of Authenticity can, however, be issued on the basis of the expertising statutes by either the A.I.E.P. or the BPP-Echtheitszertifikate.