Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #16b
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 'M P(g)t' form: angular zigzag initial, looped P, compressed middle, terminal t with crossbar; written vertically along the right edge and fairly compact | Same abbreviated three-part form in R1-R8: zigzag M, looped P/R, trailing 'gt' with long horizontal crossbar; usually wider and more stretched out | Natural variation |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright strokes, gently declining baseline relative to the writing direction | Mostly slightly left-to-upright strokes; flat to slightly declining baselines (R1, R4, R7 measured similar) | Match |
| Letter construction | Initial built as a rapid N/M zigzag with sharp apexes; P formed with a downstroke and a top bowl; t with a crossing stroke | Identical construction of the zigzag initial and P bowl in R1, R4, R7 and visibly in R2, R3, R6 | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Initial is disconnected from the P; P runs into the g/t cluster | Same break between the initial and P; P-to-g-to-t linkage consistent across references | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the initial; terminal crossbar ends with a flicked, tapered finish | Tapered entries and flicked crossbar finishes, longest in R1 and R7 | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluent, confident strokes with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution | Fast, fluent marker strokes throughout | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Some thick-thin variation at turns, slightly more even than the references | Moderate thick-thin variation typical of a felt or marker tip | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tighter spacing between P and the terminal t, likely constrained by the edge placement | Generally more generous horizontal spacing, especially before the crossbar | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline; the t crossbar is the only extended stroke | No underlines; extended crossbar is the main flourish | Match |
| Placement and size | Blue ink, written vertically in the right margin beside the logo on the sticker face | Placed in open areas of the card or sticker face in blue or black ink, at varying orientations | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators | No halftone or dot pattern visible; ink appears to sit over the printed art; resolution is limited | 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 | -2.7° | -13.2–-1.7° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -2.9° | -5.1–1.2° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.309 | 0.173–0.25 | Edge of range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.9× | 2.27–3.88× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.444 | 0.452–0.587 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 10 | 13.0–26.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 15 | 12.0–19.0 | In range |
The measurements compare this signature with three reference signatures clean enough to trace (R1, R4, R7). The slant of the upright strokes and the overall writing angle both fall well within the artist's normal range. Ink travel, stroke-thickness variation, number of closed loops and number of separate strokes also sit inside his usual spread, although these are photo-sensitive and were not used in the call. The one feature to check is height to width: this signature is more compact than his references, about 2.5 normal spreads above average. That fits the cramped vertical placement along the card edge and is not on its own a sign of a problem. Overall the numbers support the visual finding that this signature is consistent with Mark Pingitore's genuine hand.
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition sticker, so the signature is contemporary (mid-2020s). All eight references are the same artist's recent autograph cards and stickers (Horrorible Kids Series 9 and Nintendopes open-edition stickers), the same era and a similar format. Era drift is not a meaningful factor. Surface (glossy sticker stock), marker type and the vertical placement along the card edge explain most of the visible differences.
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.
