Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #18a
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. A low, angular zigzag first-name initial with abbreviated trailing strokes, then a taller P-form and a long trailing surname scrawl ending in a horizontal crossbar. The first-name block is shorter than the surname block. | R1–R8 show the same two-part structure: a zigzag 'M' block (R1, R3, R4, R8 clearest), a tall P with a loop (R1, R3, R8), and a trailing surname abbreviated to a stroke and crossbar. Proportions are similar. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Signed sideways, reading bottom to top along the right edge. Relative to its own axis there is a mild rightward slant and a fairly level, slightly rising baseline. | References are signed horizontally with mild right slant and a level to slightly rising baseline (R1, R3, R5, R8). | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | First initial built as sharp peaks and valleys (an 'N/M'-like zigzag) followed by small cursive humps. The P is a downstroke with a loop to the right. The surname reduces to a low connector and a t-like terminal. | Same zigzag initial with sharp apexes (R1, R4, R7, R8). Same P stem-and-loop (R1, R3, R5, R8). Same reduced surname ending in a t-like form (R1, R3, R4, R6). | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Pen lift between the first-name block and the P. The surname flows as a single connected stroke into the terminal. | References consistently show a lift between the first and last name blocks and a continuous surname stroke (R2, R3, R5, R8). | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts with a quick upstroke into the zigzag with no visible blunt start. Ends with an extended horizontal crossbar that appears to taper. | Quick entry strokes and a long, tapering terminal crossbar extending right are a hallmark across R1, R3, R5, R8. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes look fluent and confident at crop resolution, with no visible tremor, patching or hesitation. Resolution is limited. | Fast, fluent marker strokes throughout the references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Dark blue ink, fairly even density with some lighter areas toward stroke ends. Image resolution does not allow reliable pressure assessment. | References show modest pressure variation with heavier downstrokes (R2, R6, R7). The images are also low resolution. | Not assessable |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the first-name block and the P. The surname is compressed into the terminal. | Similar gap and compressed surname in R1, R3, R4, R8. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The extended terminal crossbar serves as the only flourish. | No underlines. The terminal crossbar is the recurring flourish (R1 most pronounced). | Match |
| Placement and size | Hand placed vertically along the right margin of the art, beside the KIDS logo and over the green background and art edge. Its size relative to the card is similar to the references. | References sit across the artwork in varying positions and orientations, as expected for hand-signed open-edition stickers. None show one fixed position that would suggest a facsimile. | Natural variation |
| Ink colour | Dark blue / blue-black marker. | Blue in R1, R3 and R8; black or near-black in R2, R4, R5, R6 and R7. The artist uses both. | Natural variation |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition artist auto. All references are contemporary Magic Marker Art / Mark Pingitore artist-signed releases (Nintendopes Open Edition stickers and Horrorible Kids Series 9), so they fall in the same circa 2023–2024 period. No meaningful era drift is expected, and differences mainly reflect surface (glossy stickers), pen (blue vs. black marker) and signing speed on high-volume open-edition runs.
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.
