Tier definitions
T1 (Fingerprint): stable physical-asset identity verified; provenance unverified. T2 (Declared Source): origin attributable to a verified claimant but not independently evidence-verified. T3 (Evidence Verified): claim-to-evidence mapping completed with contradiction analysis, qualified review, and documented scope and limitations. T4 (PV Evaluated): full evidence and policy determination reached T4. No official T4 credential, Gold Seal, or certification-mark right is issued by payment alone; those require separate signing authority and issuance flow.
Evidence requirements
Tier advancement requires progressively stronger evidence. T1 requires asset fingerprint and verified claimant identity. T2 requires documented source assertion attributable to the claimant. T3 requires independent evidence corroborating the origin claim, reviewed by a qualified PV reviewer. T4 requires comprehensive evidence coverage meeting the T4 evidence policy, with no unresolved material contradictions.
Determination finality
Determinations are append-only. A determination may be superseded by a subsequent determination based on new evidence, but prior determinations remain in the provenance ledger. The most recent determination governs the current trust state.