Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #13b
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, flat two-part signature: an angular zigzag 'M' unit, then a stacked 'P'/'tore' unit with a long crossbar. Low height-to-width ratio. | R2, R3, R4 and R6 show the same compact zigzag-M plus abbreviated surname. R1 and R7 are more extended with a longer terminal stroke. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright strokes with a slightly descending baseline once the vertical placement is accounted for. | Upright to modestly left-leaning strokes, with baselines roughly level. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | 'M' is built as a sharp, fast zigzag with pointed apices. The surname begins with a tall upright and a looped bowl, followed by a looped descender below. | Same zigzag 'M' in R1–R7. Surname has an upright stem, a bowl and a looped descender in R1, R6 and R7. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The 'M' is connected within itself. There is a lift before the surname, and the surname is run together. | A lift between the first name and the surname is consistent across R1–R7. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the 'M'. The surname ends in a horizontal crossbar or terminal stroke extending right. | A horizontal terminal stroke is characteristic in R1, R4, R6 and R7, in varying lengths. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident marker strokes. No visible tremor, hesitation or blunt stops at this resolution. | Fast, fluid strokes throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Fairly even felt-tip density, with slight thinning on the fast zigzag strokes. | Similar felt-tip pattern. R5 and R6 are lighter or skipped because of the surface. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tight gap between the 'M' unit and the surname. | Tight in R3, R4 and R6; wider in R1 and R7. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. Looped descender below the surname. | No underlines. Looped descenders appear in some examples. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically in blue marker along the right side, over the printed background and near the artwork. Moderate size. | Placement varies on the open-edition stickers. R6 appears similarly placed over artwork. | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink sits visibly over the printed design. No halftone pattern is discernible at this resolution. | 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 | -2.3° | -12.9–-3.7° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -2.9° | -2.3–2.0° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.173 | 0.168–0.284 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.2× | 2.82–5.25× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.533 | 0.454–0.585 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 21 | 19.0–82.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 4 | 4.0–17.0 | In range |
The software measured seven features of the ink and compared them with three clean Pingitore references. All seven came out within his normal range: stroke lean, overall writing angle, height-to-width shape, amount of ink travel, stroke thickness variation, loop count and number of separate strokes. None were borderline or out of range. The four photo-sensitive measurements (ink travel, thickness variation, loops and separate strokes) were treated as supporting detail only, and they also fell within normal range. Only three references were clean enough to measure, so the numbers support authentication without being conclusive on their own. Combined with the visual match, they point toward a genuine signature.
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Open Edition sticker, the same Magic Marker Art artist-autograph sticker program as the Nintendopes references (R2–R7) and the Slop Culture Kids sticker (R8). R1, a Horrorible Kids Series 9 card, is from a similar recent period. All references appear contemporaneous with ours, so era drift is not a significant factor. The main variables are surface (glossy sticker stock), pen (blue or black felt-tip marker) and orientation. Ours was signed vertically along the right edge of the card.
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.
