Autograph Authentication Report
2024 SAGE High Series - Auto · #A-DMR
Findings
Signature comparison
This card. The signature as cropped from the slab photo (front).
Below, the known examples Crown compared it with. Examples with stronger proof (signed in front of staff, or certified by an independent authenticator) carry the most weight.
Feature by feature
| Feature | This card | Known examples | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall form and proportions | A small 'D.' sits above a full 'Martin-Robinson'. The large looped capital M dominates. 'artin' is compressed and the surname tapers into a flattened, extended trail. | R1 (cropped) shows 'Martin-Rob' with the same dominant looped M and compressed 'artin'. R2 shows 'Martin-Robin…' with a similar M-heavy proportion and tapering surname. The 'D.' initial is not visible in either crop. | Natural variation |
| Slant and baseline | Slight rightward slant. Baseline is roughly level to a slight rise across the surname. | R1 and R2 both show a slight right slant on a near-level baseline. | Match |
| Letter construction | The M opens with a lead-in loop and has angular humps. 't' is crossed in-stroke. R has a tall stem with an open bowl, followed by a reduced, partly illegible 'obinson'. | R1 and R2 show the same looped-M entry, a tall R stem with bowl, and a reduced 'obin' segment. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | 'artin' is connected in one run, then a hyphen, then the R is pen-lifted from 'obinson'. | R2 shows a similar connected 'artin', hyphen and R structure. R1 is consistent where visible. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts with a looped lead-in on the M. Ends with a long, tapered horizontal terminal after 'obinson'. | R1 and R2 start the same way. Their terminal strokes are cropped or not fully visible. | Natural variation |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes with tapering ends. There is no visible tremor or hesitation. Light skip patches are typical of marker on glossy stock. | R1 and R2 appear similarly fluid at their low resolution. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Variable density, heavier on downstrokes and lighter or skipping on fast connectors. | Similar variability is visible in R1. R2 is darker ink but low resolution. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tight letter spacing in 'Martin'. There is a clear gap around the hyphen, and 'obinson' is compressed. | Comparable spacing in R1 and R2. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The 'D.' initial is placed above the M. | No underline visible. The 'D.' is not visible in either crop, so whether it is habitual cannot be confirmed. | Not assessable |
| Placement and size | Centered in the designated SAGE signature panel, filling most of its width. The angle and position look natural for a hand-signed panel. | R1 and R2 are on the same SAGE panel, with similar size and fill. | Match |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink density varies, with skips and taper consistent with live marker. No halftone or dot pattern is visible at this resolution. The signature differs in detail from both references rather than overlaying them, which argues against a printed facsimile. | N/A | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
All three examples are tied to the same 2024 SAGE rookie autograph issue (our card A-DMR, High Series; R2 lists #A-D…; R1 is 2024 SAGE HIT), so they share an era, product, surface and likely signing campaign. Career-era drift should not explain any differences. Remaining variation should come from signing speed and pen condition on the same card stock.
How Crown authenticates autographs: the signature is compared with known examples gathered from Crown's own authenticated cards, independent authenticators and public listings, measured by software, examined by an AI forensic model, and signed off by Crown Grading staff. The decision above is Crown's.
