Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #39a
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 large angular 'M' with a small trailing 'c/l' form, then a 'P' with compressed 'gt'-like letters ending in a long horizontal terminal stroke. The P section is somewhat taller and longer than the M section. | R1, R3 and R8 show the same two-part 'M… P…' structure with the same relative proportions and a long terminal extension. R2, R5, R6 and R7 are more compressed or abbreviated variants of the same scheme. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Rightward-forward slant on the M uprights. The baseline rises slightly through the P section. The signature is written along the card's left edge (rotated about 90° relative to the art). | R1, R3, R6 and R8 show similar forward slant and a slightly rising or level baseline. Orientation varies by item. | Match |
| Letter construction | 'M' made with a sharp initial downstroke, angular peaks and a low connecting valley into a small looped trailing letter. 'P' has a tall stem and an open bowl flowing directly into small cursive forms. | R1 is nearly identical in M and P construction, including the open P bowl that runs into the trailing letters. R3 and R8 match the angular M and the P-bowl transition. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | M connects to its trailing letter without a lift. There is a gap (a natural pen lift) between the first-name and surname blocks. The P bowl connects into the following letters. | The same lift placement between the two blocks appears in R1, R3, R6 and R8. Connections within each block are similar. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the M downstroke. Long, fast, tapered horizontal terminal stroke extending right of the P block. | R1 shows the same long tapered terminal. R3, R6 and R8 show shorter versions of the same finishing stroke. No blunt starts or stops in the references. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes with tapering at stroke ends. No visible tremor, hesitation, or patching at this resolution. | All references show rapid, fluid execution typical of a high-volume artist signer. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Ink density varies, heavier on downstrokes and lighter in the terminal stroke, consistent with a felt-tip or paint marker applied by hand. | R1 (blue marker) shows a similar heavy-to-light variation. Black-ink references (R2, R5, R8) show comparable pressure shading. | Match |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the M block and the P block. Tight internal spacing within each block. | Consistent with R1, R3 and R6. Spacing is slightly more compressed in R2 and R7, which is natural variation. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No separate underline. The terminal stroke serves as the flourish. | The same handling appears across R1, R3, R6 and R8. None show a separate underline or paraph. | Match |
| Placement and size | Placed vertically in the left margin, overlapping the blue background. It does not cover the character art. The size suits the card. | Reference crops show signatures in open space on varied backgrounds. Placement differs from item to item, as expected for hand-signed stickers, with no fixed facsimile position. | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink appears to sit on the surface with marker sheen. No halftone or dot pattern is visible at this resolution, though the image is too coarse to rule one out definitively. | Not applicable | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Our signature is on a 2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition card (No. 39a), so it likely dates to about 2021–2022. Six references (R2, R3, R5–R8) come from the same Nintendopes Open Edition set and are effectively contemporaneous. R1 (Magic Marker Art Horrorible Kids Series 9, 01/10) is from the same artist-issued product line and a similar period. R4 (an 11x17 print) is of unknown date. All of these are modern artist signings, so no meaningful career-era drift is expected. Differences among references are explained by surface (glossy sticker stock vs. card), marker type (blue vs. black), and signing 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.
