Baptismal certificate: Church-issued certificate or family artifact?

Hi,

I have a photocopy of a baptismal certificate for my great-grandfather Max.

• Max was born in 1877.
• The certificate was issued to him in 1900, shortly before his emigration, by the local parish.
• The certificate cites the parish register (parish, book number, and page).
• After Max' widow died in 1955, their son and daughter-in-law inherited the certificate.
• I made my photocopy while the widowed daughter-in-law held the original certificate in 1999.
• The daughter-in-law died in 2002 and I don't know whether the original still exists, and if so, who has it.

Is my photocopy a copy of a family artifact or of a church-issued certificate?

I always find myself in doubt about this, when the certificate was not issued at the time of the event. However, neither I nor the daughter-in-law ordered the certificate, which makes me lean towards the certificate being a family artifact.

Thanks,

Lene D. Kottal