This paper presents a model for value attribution on contemporary art. For that, it examines reproduction as a conservation strategy for contemporary fine art photography through the lens of modern conservation concepts of value attribution and knowledge production. Based on retrospective research into the reproduction of a photograph by artist Thomas Ruff at the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt, the paper explores the artwork’s attributed authenticities as valued by the museum’s conservator, curator and the artist before and after reproduction. This analysis aims to illustrate how the assessment of contemporary artworks’ realms of authenticity can influence decision-making processes surrounding their conservation and presentation.