What is essential to authenticate a nonwritten documentary item?

• A. Reasonable identification by someone with knowledge linking item to its source
• B. A stamped seal by the origin
• C. Testimony linking the item to its source or provenance
• D. A formal written description

Answer: (C)

Authenticating a nonwritten documentary item hinges on proving its connection to a known source or provenance, and that connection is shown through testimony. A witness with knowledge of where the item came from can describe its origin and trace its chain of custody, linking the item to its source or provenance and making it reasonable to believe it is what it purports to be. This direct link to origin is what gives the item admissible authenticity.

Seals or stamps by origin can be helpful but aren’t definitive, and they can be forged. A formal written description isn’t required for authentication, and reasonable identification by someone with knowledge is often sufficient only insofar as it connects the item to its source or provenance. Thus, the strongest and most reliable basis for authentication of a nonwritten item is testimony that ties it directly to its source or provenance.