Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #42a
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 | Compact two-part signature. An angular zigzag 'M' block, then a 'P' form with a descending loop, then an abbreviated 'gt' ending in a long rightward trailing stroke. Slightly flatter than the references. | R1, R4, R8 and R2 show the same zigzag 'M', looped 'P' and abbreviated tail with a horizontal finishing stroke. Proportions are similar, with R1 the closest match. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright to slight leftward slant. Baseline runs roughly level along the signature's own axis, written vertically along the card's right edge. | Upright to modest left slant with a level baseline in R1, R4 and R8. | Match |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is built as rapid connected peaks, like an 'Nl' shape. The 'P' has a tall upstroke and a bowl that loops down below the baseline. The trailing letters collapse into a short peak and a crossing. | Same construction in R1 (blue, very close), R4, R8, R3 and R5. The 'P' descending loop is visible in R1 and R5. | Match |
| Connecting strokes and pen lifts | There is a clear break between the 'M' group and the 'P' group. The rest flows continuously into the tail. | Same two-unit structure with a lift between the first-name initial and the surname in every reference. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the first 'M' stroke. The ending is a long, thin, tapered horizontal flick to the right. | R1 shows an identical long right-hand finishing stroke. R4, R6 and R8 show shorter versions of the same exit. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes. Width varies naturally and the terminals taper. No visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, fluid marker strokes throughout the references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier on the downstrokes of the 'M' and 'P', lighter on the tail. Ink density is uneven, consistent with a felt-tip marker on a glossy surface. | Similar heavy downstrokes and a light tail. R7 shows marker skipping on the glossy surface, which is a comparable surface effect. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the 'M' group and the 'P' group. The trailing letters are compressed. | Comparable gap and compression in R1, R4 and R8. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The extended finishing stroke serves as the flourish. | No underlines. The finishing stroke is similar, longest in R1. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically along the right side of the card, over the artwork, in blue marker. Moderate size. | The references are crops, so their placement is not fully assessable. They show signing over the printed art in blue (R1, R7, R8) and black marker. | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators | No halftone dot pattern is visible in the stroke. The ink appears to sit over the printed art, and density varies along the strokes. | N/A | Not assessable |
Measurements
Software traced the ink and measured it against the known examples. The shaded band is the signer's normal range across those examples; the gold marker is this card.
| Feature | This card | Known examples | Normal range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slant of upright strokes | -4.5° | -14.9–-1.5° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -1.4° | -1.6–1.9° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.144 | 0.169–0.179 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.87× | 2.32–4.24× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.576 | 0.419–0.603 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 42 | 13.0–59.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 11 | 7.0–19.0 | In range |
Our software measured seven features of this signature and compared them with three clean Pingitore reference signatures. Every feature landed well within his own natural variation: the lean of the strokes, the overall angle, the height-to-width shape, how much ink travels across the signature, stroke thickness changes, loop count and number of separate strokes. The biggest difference is that ours is slightly flatter in shape, but that is still within his normal range. The four photo-sensitive measurements were not counted in the call. Overall the numbers support authentication, though they cannot by themselves prove the ink is live rather than printed.
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition artist auto, the same Magic Marker Art product family and period as the Nintendopes (R2–R6, R8), Slop Culture Kids (R7) and Horrorible Kids (R1) references. All are contemporary with ours, so era drift is not a factor. Differences come mainly from marker type (blue vs. black/dark), surface (glossy sticker art vs. lighter stock) and signing speed.
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.
