Abstract: A system and method for acquisition, registration, and authentication of works of art and the like is provided. The system and method of the present invention changes the basis for proving legitimate possession of artwork from a bearer system based on trust of provenance provided by an art dealer (if any) to a registration system based on a license. It provides a contractual basis among the parties for assuring authenticity and exclusivity (rarity). The present invention accomplishes two important objectives: 1) it ensures that an artist produces only a designated number of copies of any single artwork, thereby establishing exclusivity, and 2) it tracks the possession of these copies, so that the authenticity and legitimacy of any particular copy can be clearly and quickly established according to agreed-upon procedures.