Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #14b
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 abbreviated signature: angular zigzag 'M' group, then a looped 'P' with a trailing looped/crossed ending. Written along the right edge, rotated vertically. | R2–R7 show the same two-cluster structure: zigzag 'M' group, gap, 'P' with trailing crossed ending. R1 and R8 show the same 'M' zigzag in a larger, looser hand. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright strokes. Baseline drifts slightly downward relative to the writing direction. | Mostly upright to slightly back-leaning. Baselines roughly level to slightly drifting. | Match |
| Letter construction | 'M' built as a sharp down-up zigzag followed by short upright 'l'-like strokes. 'P' has a tall stem and an open bowl. The ending is a looped 't'-like form with a cross stroke. | R3, R4, R5 and R7 show the same 'M' zigzag-plus-uprights construction and the same 'P' bowl leading into a crossed terminal. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The 'M' group is internally connected. There is a lift before the 'P'. The 'P' runs into the terminal. | Same lift pattern between the first and last-name clusters in R2–R7. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts are tapered at the top of the 'M'. The ending crossbar and loop finish with a light flick, with no blunt stops visible. | Tapered entries and a flicked crossbar finish, as in R4 and R6. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid strokes. Ink skips and thins in places, typical of a quick stroke on glossy sticker stock. No tremor or hesitation visible at this resolution. | Fast, confident lines. R8 shows similar skipping on a glossy surface. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Variable density, heavier on downstrokes and lighter on connectors and upstrokes. | Similar variable pressure in R2–R7. Their pens are darker and broader in several. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Clear gap between the 'M' cluster and the 'P' cluster. Fairly tight within each cluster. | Same two-cluster spacing. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | None beyond the terminal cross stroke. | None beyond the terminal cross stroke. | Match |
| Placement and size | Vertical along the right border, overlapping the title banner. Moderate size, blue ink. | Reference crops are horizontal and mostly larger. Placement on full cards is not visible for most. | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink density is uneven, with skips. No halftone or dot pattern is visible at this resolution. The ink appears to sit on the surface. | Not applicable. | 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 | 0.6° | -12.9–0.6° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -3.1° | -4.4–1.7° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.248 | 0.167–0.291 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 2.43× | 2.34–5.57× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.536 | 0.458–0.75 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 5 | 10.0–90.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 17 | 7.0–22.0 | In range |
The computer measured seven features of the ink trace and compared each against Pingitore's own reference signatures. All seven came out normal, meaning within the range his own signatures vary: - The lean of upright strokes and the overall writing angle are both typical for him. - The height-to-width shape is typical too. - Ink travel, stroke-thickness variation, closed loops and the number of separate strokes also sit within his usual range. These four are sensitive to photo conditions, though, so they count for less. The numbers support the visual finding that this signature fits his normal habits, but they cannot by themselves prove the ink is genuine.
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids sticker (Magic Marker Art), the same 2023–2024 artist-sticker period as the Nintendopes references R2–R7 and the Slop Culture Kids R8. R1 (Horrorible Kids Series 9) is likely from roughly the same recent period. No meaningful era gap, so form differences should be small. The ones seen are explained by surface, pen 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.
