Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #2a
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, abbreviated two-part signature: angular initial 'M' followed by a looped 'k'/'l', then 'P' with a trailing compressed tail. Long and low. | R1–R5, R8 show the same two-group abbreviated form with the same long, low proportions. Measured height-to-width is right at the reference average. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright strokes on a level baseline (signed vertically along the right card edge; the crop is rotated). | Mostly upright to slightly left-leaning on level baselines. R3 and R4 lean more, consistent with signing speed and surface. | Match |
| Letter construction | Zigzag 'M' made of sharp descending and ascending strokes, an open loop forming the 'k', and a 'P' with a bowl that runs into a compressed 'gt'-like ending. | R1, R2, R5 and R8 show the same zigzag 'M', loop and 'P' bowl construction. R6 and R7 show the same initial 'M'/'k' group. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Initial group connected in one motion. Break before the 'P'. 'P' connected into the tail. | Same break pattern between the first-name and surname groups across the references. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the 'M'. The terminal stroke flicks out with no blunt stop visible. | Tapered entries and flick-out endings. R5 adds a small terminal mark, which is natural variation. | Natural variation |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes with marker skipping on the glossy art. No visible tremor or hesitation. | Fast, fluid marker strokes throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Blue marker with modest thickness variation and some skips over gloss. | Similar blue or black marker. Measured thickness variation is within the reference range. | Match |
| Spacing | Tight spacing within each group, with a moderate gap between the groups. | Same spacing pattern. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. Slight extended tail. | No underlines in any reference. | Match |
| Placement and size | Vertical along the right side, over the art near the character's canister. Medium size. | References are crops placed over the art in various orientations. The sticker-set autos are commonly placed over the art. | 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 | -0.5° | -13.3–0.1° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -0.3° | -2.5–1.8° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.197 | 0.146–0.262 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 4.07× | 2.23–4.39× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.52 | 0.45–0.756 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 40 | 11.0–59.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 25 | 10.0–24.0 | In range |
We measured seven features of this signature and compared them with six of Mark Pingitore's reference signatures. Slant, overall angle and height-to-width shape all land close to his usual values. Ink travel, stroke thickness variation, loop count and number of separate strokes also fall within how much his own signatures normally vary. The stroke count is slightly higher than any single reference, which is typical when a marker skips on glossy stock. Overall, the numbers support the signature being his, though measurements from photos are a supporting tool and not proof on their own.
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition sticker. References R1–R5 (Nintendopes) and R6/R8 (Magic Marker Art / Horrorible Kids) come from the same artist-run sticker program, likely 2020s, so they are close in era. R7 (JSA print) is undated but shows the same abbreviated 'Mk P' style. No era-driven change is expected between ours and the references.
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.
