Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #12b
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 | A compact two-part signature: an angular zigzag 'M' with a small following letter, a gap, then a 'P' and a terminal 't'-like form with a long horizontal crossbar. | R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R8 all show the same two-part structure with a zigzag 'M' and a 'P…t' group ending in a long crossbar. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright strokes. The whole signature is written along the card's right edge and runs at a slight descending angle in the crop. | Near-upright to slightly back-slanted strokes, with a baseline that varies from flat to gently descending depending on the item. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is built from sharp peaks. The 'P' has a looped bowl, followed by a looped/descending middle form and a crossed 't'. | The same peaked 'M', looped 'P' bowl and crossed terminal in R2, R3, R6 and R8. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The 'M' group and the 'P' group are separate. Strokes within each group are connected. | The same break between the two groups, with internal connections, across the references. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | A tapered entry into the 'M'. It ends with a horizontal crossbar extending to the right. | Tapered entries and a long right-running crossbar finish (R2, R3, R5, R6, R8). | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid strokes with natural thick-thin variation. No visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, fluid marker strokes. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier in the downstrokes and lighter on the connectors and the crossbar. | A similar pressure pattern in the dark marker examples (R2, R5, R8). | Match |
| Spacing | A moderate gap between the first-name and surname groups. | A comparable gap. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The crossbar acts as the only flourish. | No underlines; the crossbar is the flourish. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed in blue ink vertically along the right side of the art, over the lily pad and background, at moderate size. | Placed over the artwork in open areas, at varied orientations and in various ink colors. | Natural variation |
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 | 2.4° | -1.9–-0.1° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -6.2° | -5.1–1.8° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.199 | 0.148–0.268 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.74× | 3.12–4.37× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.616 | 0.57–0.751 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 38 | 23.0–56.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 19 | 14.0–28.0 | In range |
The computer measured seven features of this signature: the slant of the upright strokes, the overall writing angle, height compared to width, how much ink line is used across the width, stroke thickness variation, closed loops and separate strokes. It compared each one with six of Pingitore's reference signatures. All seven fell well inside his own normal variation; the largest difference was only about 1.2 'normal spreads' from his average, and anything within 2 is typical for him. The numbers therefore support authenticating the signature. They are one line of evidence and should be read alongside the visual comparison and a physical check of the ink.
Examiner notes
Our card is the 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition sticker. The Nintendopes, Horrorible Kids and Slop Culture Kids references come from the same artist-signed Magic Marker Art sticker and card releases of roughly the same recent period. No era-driven change is expected, so differences should come only from surface, pen and 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.
