Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #37b
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 | Abbreviated two-part signature. An angular 'M' zigzag sits at left, followed by a 'P' with a tall loop, a compressed '-gt-' and a long trailing horizontal terminal. The first name and surname groups are roughly equal in width. | Every reference shows the same abbreviated structure: an angular zigzag 'M' group, a gap or short connector, a looped 'P', compressed trailing letters and an extended horizontal finish (R1, R3, R7 especially clear). | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Written along the card's long axis (vertical on the card), so relative to its own baseline it is roughly level with a slight rightward lean on the 'P' stem. | Level to slightly rising baselines with modest right slant on upstrokes (R1, R2, R4, R7). | Match |
| Letter construction – 'M' | Sharp angular peaks forming an 'N/W'-like zigzag, with a pointed rather than rounded apex. | Same sharp zigzag 'M' with pointed peaks and a low connecting hook (R1, R3, R7, R8). R5 and R6 are more compressed or messier, but the construction is the same. | Match |
| Letter construction – 'P' and surname | Tall 'P' stem with a loop to the right. It is followed by small, reduced letterforms and a cross stroke that merges into the final long horizontal. | Tall looped 'P', reduced middle letters, and a 't'-cross that becomes the long terminal stroke (R1, R2, R4, R7). | Match |
| Connecting strokes | A short low connector runs from the 'M' group toward the 'P'. Within the surname, strokes appear continuous. | Similar low connector or near-touch between the name groups (R1, R2, R3). | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Start appears tapered, though the dark background limits visibility. The finish is a long, fast horizontal tail. | Tapered starts and a long, fast horizontal finish are consistently present. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes look fluid with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. Ink density varies along the strokes. | Fast, fluid marker strokes throughout. | Natural variation |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier density in the 'P' stem and loop area, lighter in the terminal. | Heavier on downstrokes and lighter on finishing strokes. Felt-tip markers limit pressure readability. | Not assessable |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the 'M' group and the 'P' group. | Comparable gaps across the references. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The extended terminal stroke serves as the flourish. | No underline. The extended terminal is the only flourish. | Match |
| Placement and size | Blue marker, running vertically along the right edge of the art, partly over the character's arm and the background. It is not in a printed autograph box. | Crops give no card orientation. Placement over artwork with no designated box is typical of these hand-signed artist stickers. | Natural variation |
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids sticker (No. 37b, Open Edition artist auto), so it is a recent, current-era Pingitore signature. R2–R8 are Nintendopes Sticker Open Edition artist autos and R1 is a Horrorible Kids Series 9 artist card. All appear to come from the same early-to-mid-2020s period of his self-published sticker releases, so no meaningful era drift is expected. Differences come from surface (glossy stickers with saturated backgrounds), pen colour (blue vs black Sharpie-type markers) and orientation.
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.
