Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #45a
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 | An abbreviated two-part signature: a tall zigzag 'M' unit followed by a large 'P' unit with a scrawled ending and a crossing stroke. It is written running vertically up the right side of the card. | Every reference shows the same two-unit abbreviated form: a zigzag 'M' with a trailing 'k'-like hump, then a large looped 'P' and a scrawled 'gt' with a long cross stroke. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | The signature is rotated about 90° relative to the card text. Relative to its own baseline it is upright to slightly right-slanting, with the 'P' rising above the 'M'. | R1–R8 are upright to slightly right-slanting, with the 'P' ascender taller than the 'M' unit. The baseline drifts slightly upward. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is made of quick angular peaks. The 'P' is a tall stem with an open bowl. The ending is a compact scribble topped by a crossing stroke. | The 'M' is angular and peaked (R1, R4, R7, R8). The 'P' has a tall stem and a bowl that is often only partly closed. The ending is a compressed scribble with a t-cross. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The 'M' unit is continuous. There is a lift between the 'M' and 'P' units, and the 'P' flows into the ending. | The same lift between first and last name units appears in all references, with continuous writing inside each unit. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | The start appears tapered. The finish is a quick cross stroke with a flicked end. Neither shows a blunt start or stop. | The references have tapered entries and long, fast terminal t-crosses (R1, R6, R7, R8). | Match |
| Line quality and speed | In the full slab image the line looks fluid and confident, with tonal variation and no visible tremor or hesitation. The crop is small and slightly soft. | Fast, fluid marker lines throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Ink density varies, heavier at turns and lighter on the fast strokes, consistent with a marker. | The references show similar heavier and lighter variation in marker or paint pen. | Match |
| Spacing | The two name units are compact, separated by a small gap. | The references show a similar compact gap. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | There is no underline. The terminal cross acts as the only flourish. | The references have no underline, and the terminal cross is the only flourish. | Match |
| Placement and size | Placed vertically along the right edge over the background and partly over the figure's arm. It is large relative to the card. | Placement varies across the references, which are often written over the artwork. Size is comparable. | Natural variation |
| Ink color and medium | Blue marker. | The references are in blue (R1, R3, R5, R7, R8) and black (R2, R4, R6) marker. | Match |
Examiner notes
Our item is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition sticker from Mark Pingitore's own Magic Marker Art line. References R2–R8 are Nintendopes open-edition sticker autos from the same product family and appear to be roughly the same period. R1, a Horrorible Kids Series 9 card, is likely a few years earlier. All references show the same abbreviated 'M'-zigzag, large-'P', crossed-'t' form, so no meaningful era shift is expected.
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.
