Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #43b
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 | An abbreviated two-part signature: an angular zigzag 'M' group, then a 'P'-led second group ending in a long horizontal terminal. Compact and wide. | Same two-group abbreviated structure in R1–R8, with a zigzag 'M' and a 'P' group ending in a long horizontal stroke. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Mild left-leaning uprights. The baseline is nearly level once the vertically placed signature is read in its writing direction. | Similar mild slant and level-to-slightly-rising baseline. R1, R7 and R8 show the same tendency. | Match |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is built from sharp peaks with a looped return. The 'P' has a tall stem and a bowl, followed by compressed letter forms. | The same sharp-peaked 'M' with a looped return and the same tall-stem 'P' appear across R1, R5, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Fluid connections inside each group, with a lift between the 'M' and 'P' groups. | Same gap between the two groups and the same internal connections. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the 'M'. The final stroke is a long, fast horizontal that tapers out. | The long tapered horizontal terminal appears in R1, R2, R5, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Confident and fluid, with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Equally fast, fluid execution. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Blue marker with modest width variation; slightly heavier on downstrokes. | Blue and black markers with comparable variation. The measured thickness variation is in range. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | A clear gap between the two name groups; the second group is compressed. | Same spacing habit. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No separate underline; the extended terminal does the job of a flourish. | Same: no separate underline, with an extended terminal. | Match |
| Placement and size | Written vertically along the left side over the artwork, sized to the card. | Placement varies across references, which are signed horizontally over the artwork. Varied placement is normal for in-person artist signing. | 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 | -5.9° | -14.6–-1.4° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -0.3° | -4.6–2.0° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.206 | 0.169–0.249 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.9× | 2.65–6.18× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.549 | 0.436–0.643 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 30 | 28.0–128.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 14 | 4.0–19.0 | In range |
Code measured the ink traces of this signature against three clean reference signatures (R1, R7, R8). Every measurement sits well within the artist's own normal variation, all 0.6 spreads from his average or less: the slant of the upright strokes, the overall writing angle, and the height-to-width shape. The more photo-sensitive measures (ink travel, stroke thickness variation, closed loops, separate strokes) are also normal. Taken together, the numbers support authenticating this signature, but they are a supporting check rather than proof.
Examiner notes
Our card is from the 2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition, the same artist-produced release as R2–R8, so the signature and most references are likely contemporaneous. R1 (Horrorible Kids Series 9) is another Magic Marker Art product from a nearby period. No era-driven differences are expected, and none are seen.
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.
