Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #41b
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 | Compressed two-part signature: an angular zigzag 'M' group, then a 'P' form running into a 'gt' ending with a long horizontal crossbar. Slightly taller relative to width than most references. | All references show the same two-group structure, with an angular 'M' cluster, a gap, a looped 'P' and a long trailing crossbar. Height-to-width varies across them (R1 and R8 are flatter, R5 more compact). | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Upright strokes lean slightly back from vertical. Overall baseline is nearly level. | Same slight backward lean and near-level baseline in R1, R5, R6 and R8. Visually similar in R2, R3, R4 and R7. | Match |
| Letter construction | 'M' is built as a tall first downstroke followed by a tight zigzag of small peaks. 'P' has a closed upper loop that continues rightward. Final 't' is crossed by an extended horizontal. | Identical construction: tall first stroke with a compressed zigzag in R1, R3, R5 and R6, a looped 'P' in all, and an extended crossbar finish in R1, R2, R5, R6 and R8. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Continuous connection through the 'M' cluster, a pen break before the 'P', then a connected run to the end. | Same break pattern (lift between first and last name groups) across references. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts with a firm downstroke. Ends with a long, tapering horizontal stroke to the right. | Same firm entry and long tapered terminal crossbar, most clearly in R1, R5 and R8. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluent, rapid strokes with tapered terminals. No visible tremor, patching or hesitation at this resolution. | Rapid, confident line in all references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier on downstrokes, lighter on connecting and terminal strokes, with some density variation along the line. | Similar heavy-down, light-out pattern in the cleaner references (R1, R5, R8). | Match |
| Spacing | Clear gap between the 'M' cluster and the 'P' group. | Same gap in all references, with width varying by available space. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The extended final crossbar serves as the flourish. | No underlines. Extended crossbar flourish is present throughout. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically along the left edge, over the wall and grass art, in dark blue/teal ink. Medium size. | The crops show horizontal orientation over artwork in varied inks (blue, black). Orientation on the full cards is not shown. Artists commonly sign wherever the artwork leaves room. | 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 | -4.7° | -11.1–-1.7° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -0.9° | -1.8–1.0° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.289 | 0.16–0.281 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 4.46× | 1.87–4.78× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.536 | 0.434–0.598 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 33 | 20.0–44.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 15 | 9.0–18.0 | In range |
We took seven measurements from the ink trace and compared them with four clean Pingitore references. The upright strokes lean back about 4.7°, essentially identical to his reference average. The overall writing angle is nearly level, as in his references. The signature is a bit taller relative to its width than average, but it sits within the range his own signatures naturally vary. The photo-sensitive measures also fall right in his normal range: ink travel, stroke thickness variation, number of closed loops and number of separate strokes. None of the seven is unusual, so the numbers support the visual finding that this signature fits Pingitore's habits. Measurements alone cannot prove authenticity, though.
Examiner notes
Our card is the 2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition artist auto. Seven of the eight references (R2–R8) come from the same issue and likely the same signing period. R1, a Horrorible Kids Series 9 card, is close in time. Era drift is therefore not a meaningful factor, and differences mostly reflect pen, surface 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.
