Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #27a
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 | Two-part abbreviated signature: an angular 'M'-type initial group followed by a gap, then a 'P'-initial group ending in a long horizontal 't' cross/terminal. The first group is roughly equal in width to the second. | R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R8 all show the same two-group construction with similar relative widths. R7 shows mainly the first group, apparently cropped or abbreviated. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Strong right slant on the upstrokes. Baseline is essentially level relative to the signing direction (signed vertically along the card's right edge, reading bottom to top). | Right-slanted upstrokes and a level-to-slightly-rising baseline in R1–R6 and R8. | Match |
| Letter construction – first initial group | Sharp zigzag 'M' made of a tall first upstroke, a pointed valley and a second peak, flowing into a small looped 'l/e' form. | Identical zigzag 'M' with a pointed valley and a small trailing loop in R1, R2, R4, R6 and R8. R8 (also green marker on a green background) is nearly a twin. | Match |
| Letter construction – second group ('P' and terminal) | Tall 'P' stem with a small bowl, followed by low abbreviated forms and a tall 't' with a long rightward horizontal crossbar. | Tall 'P' stem with a compact bowl, low middle forms, and a prominent 't' with an extended crossbar in R1, R2, R3, R5 and R6. The crossbar length varies between examples (very long in R1, moderate in R2 and R4). | Natural variation |
| Connecting strokes | First group connected in one continuous movement. Pen lift between the groups. Second group partly connected into the 't'. | Same pattern throughout: continuous first group, a lift before the 'P', and a semi-connected second group. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Initial upstroke starts with a light lead-in. The crossbar ends in a tapered, flicked exit. | Tapered lead-ins and flicked crossbar exits in R1, R2, R6 and R8. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes. At this resolution there is no visible tremor, hesitation or blunt stops, and angular turns are made without slowing. | Fast, fluid marker strokes across all references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier on the downstrokes and first peak, lighter on the connecting and exit strokes. Ink density shows some variation rather than a flat, uniform fill. | A similar heavy-down, light-connector pattern in the marker references (R2, R4, R8). | Match |
| Spacing | A clear gap between the first and second groups. The second group is compact before the extended crossbar. | Same inter-group gap and compact second group in all complete references. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The only flourish is the extended 't' crossbar. | No underlines in any reference. The extended crossbar is the only flourish. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically in the open green field to the right of the character, sized to fit the art margin and clear of the title banner. | References are signed across open background areas of the sticker art at similar scale. Orientation varies with the available space. | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators (halftone, ink under gloss) | No halftone or dot pattern is visible in the ink at this resolution, and the stroke edges look like marker. Whether the ink sits on or under the gloss cannot be determined through the slab in the photo. | Not applicable. | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition sticker (No. 27a), signed on-card in green/teal marker. All eight references are contemporary artist-signed sticker and card releases from the same artist-direct program (Nintendopes, Slop Culture Kids, Horrorible Kids Series 9), roughly 2023–2025. That places ours and every reference in the same signing era, so no career-drift adjustment is needed. Differences are best explained by marker colour, surface (glossy sticker stock vs. card), 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.
