Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #34b
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 | Abbreviated two-part signature: an angular 'M' with a trailing low stroke ('Mk'-like), a gap, then a tall 'P' and an abbreviated tail ending in a long crossbar-like stroke. | R1–R8 all show the same two-part abbreviated 'M… P…t' structure with an angular M and an extended terminal crossbar. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright downstrokes. The baseline rises slightly left to right relative to the card text, and the signature is placed vertically on the card. | Near-upright to modest slant. Baselines are roughly level, with some rise in R1 and R7. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is made as sharp zigzag peaks with a hooked first stroke. The 'P' has a tall stem and a rounded bowl. The final letters reduce to a looped form with a 't'-like crossing. | R1, R7 and R8 show the same zigzag M, tall-stem P and looped terminal with a crossing. R5 and R6 are more compressed but follow the same construction. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The M flows into a low, small trailing form. There is a break before the P, and the P connects into the remainder. | Same break pattern between the M group and the P group in all references. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the M. Long, fast terminal stroke extending right with a tapered finish. | R1, R4, R7 and R8 show the same long tapered terminal stroke extending right. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes with tapered ends. No visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, fluid felt-tip strokes throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier on the M downstrokes and lighter on the terminal. The density variation looks typical of a felt-tip or marker. | Similar marker pressure variation, e.g. R1, R7, R8. | Match |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the M group and the P group. | Comparable gap; R1 and R8 are very similar. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The extended terminal crossbar serves as the flourish. | Same: no underline, with an extended terminal stroke. | Match |
| Placement and size | Blue ink, written vertically along the left edge over the artwork and starburst. Somewhat taller relative to width than the references. | Placement on the reference stickers cannot be fully seen in the crops. Sizes vary; ours is relatively taller. | 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 | -2.6° | -14.2–0.1° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -5.9° | -2.6–1.7° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.319 | 0.153–0.246 | Outside range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 4.58× | 2.47–6.14× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.566 | 0.427–0.748 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 57 | 19.0–122.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 11 | 5.0–26.0 | In range |
Six of the seven measurements fall within the range Mark Pingitore's own reference signatures show. These are the slant of his upright strokes, the overall writing angle, how much ink travels across the signature, stroke thickness variation, loops and number of separate strokes. The one outlier is height to width: ours is noticeably taller relative to its width than his usual examples. That is most likely because this signature was written vertically along the card's edge and cropped differently, not a sign of a different hand. Overall the numbers support the visual finding that this signature is consistent with Pingitore's, with that single proportion difference worth a closer look.
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition card (No. 34b), so it was likely signed around 2021–2022. R2–R8 are from the same Nintendopes Open Edition set, the same era and the same sticker stock. R1 (Horrorible Kids Series 9) is a closely contemporaneous artist release. No meaningful era drift is expected, so the differences come from 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.
