I don't for a moment question Jim Episale nor his honesty.
On the other hand, I do have a problem with so called certificates of authenticity.
As far as I'm concerned they should be 4X4 inches square, soft, attatched and come in a roll of 1000 sheets.
I owned 1/2 of an art gallery and saw these every day.
If one can forge a piece of art work, how difficult is it to forge a COA.

If one doen't have credible provenance as far as I'm concerned. I avoid it like the plague
Picasso, Miro, Chagall and Dali probably signed more works of art after they died than when they were alive