Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #4b
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 | Two-part abbreviated signature: a compressed zigzag 'M' (reads like 'Ml'/'Zl'), a gap, then a 'P'-based group ending in a 't' with a long horizontal crossbar. Written vertically along the right edge of the card. | All references show the same two-part structure: a zigzag 'M' group, a gap, then a 'P' group with a long 't' crossbar terminal (R1, R2, R4, R5, R8 especially). | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Rotated about 90° to run up the card edge. Relative to its own baseline it has a slight rightward slant and a fairly level baseline. | Slight right slant, level to slightly rising baseline (R2, R4, R8). R6 is more irregular on a textured gradient surface. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is made as sharp angular zigzags with a small trailing 'l'-type upstroke. The 'P' has a tall stem with a closed bowl, followed by compressed humps. | Same angular zigzag 'M' with trailing upstroke (R1, R3, R4, R8). 'P' with tall stem and bowl, sometimes with a descender loop (R1, R3, R8). | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The 'M' group is connected in one movement. There is a pen lift before the 'P'. The 'P' group runs into the 't' with a lift for the crossbar. | Same lift pattern between the two name groups. The crossbar is applied as a separate sweep in R1, R2, R4 and R8. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts with a quick entry stroke on the 'M'. Ends with an extended crossbar that tapers out to the right. | Tapered starts. Long tapered crossbar terminal is consistent across the set (R1 is the most extended). | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluent, rapid strokes with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. Some broken or skipping areas are consistent with felt-tip or marker on a coated surface. | Rapid, fluent marker strokes. R5 and R6 show similar skipping over textured or glossy print. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier pressure in the downstrokes of the 'M' and 'P' stem, lighter in the terminals. | Similar heavy-downstroke, light-terminal pattern (R2, R4, R8). | Match |
| Spacing | Clear gap between the 'M' group and the 'P' group. Letters within each group are compressed. | Same inter-group gap and intra-group compression. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The extended 't' crossbar serves as the terminal flourish. | No underlines. Extended crossbar flourish is present throughout. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically in the right margin area over the printed art, in blue ink. Large relative to the card. | Placement varies by card (over art in R5, R6, R8). Blue and black inks both used. Size is comparable. | Natural variation |
| Ink color | Blue on the full slab image. The crop renders darker, near navy/black, likely due to scan or contrast. | Blue (R1, R3, R8), black or dark (R2, R4, R5, R6), dark blue (R7). | Natural variation |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition artist auto. Most references (R2-R6, R8) come from the companion Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition artist-auto line and are likely the same 2023-2024 window. R1 (Horrorible Kids Series 9) and R7 (JSA-certified 11x17 print) are probably from the same general period of Pingitore's work. No meaningful era drift is expected. The signature is a fast, abbreviated artist scrawl that stays stable across the reference set.
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.
