Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #20a
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: angular zigzag 'M' joined to a short 'l', a gap, then a tall 'P' running into a compressed 'gt' with a long horizontal crossbar. Slightly taller relative to width than the references. | R1, R2, R3, R5 and R7 show the same two-part abbreviated structure and the same sequence of letter shapes. R4 and R6 are rougher but follow the same layout. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright to slightly left-leaning uprights. Roughly level baseline with a slight drop. | Uprights range from slightly left-leaning to near-upright. Baselines are near level. | Match |
| Letter construction | 'M' built as rapid sharp peaks with an overshooting entry stroke. 'P' has a tall stem and a small open bowl. The 'gt' is compressed into a looped hump plus a crossed 't'. | Same zigzag 'M' with overshoot (R1, R3, R7), same tall 'P' with a small bowl (R1, R2, R3, R7), and same compressed 'gt' with crossbar. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | 'M' flows into 'l' in a single movement. 'P' connects into the 'gt' hump. | Same connection pattern in R2, R3 and R7. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered, flicked entry on the 'M'. The 't' crossbar ends in a long tapered horizontal stroke to the right. | R1 and R7 show the same flicked entry and the same long trailing crossbar exit. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid and confident, with tapered ends. No visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, fluent marker strokes in all clean references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier on the downstrokes of the 'M' and 'P', lighter on the connectors. Width varies, consistent with a felt-tip marker. | Similar marker pressure variation. R8 shows a broader, smeared stroke on a textured surface. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Clear gap between the 'Ml' group and the 'P…' group. | The same gap is present in R1, R2, R3, R4 and R7. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The extended 't' crossbar is the only flourish. | No underlines. The extended crossbar is common to the set. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically along the left edge of the sticker art, over the image, in dark blue/black marker. | Reference crops do not show placement. The Nintendopes artist autos are typically signed freely across the art. | Not assessable |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink appears to sit on top of the image, with uneven density and tapered ends. No halftone pattern is visible at this resolution. | N/A | Not assessable |
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 | -5.1° | -13.5–-0.4° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -0.9° | -2.2–2.0° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.223 | 0.162–0.169 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.88× | 2.46–5.03× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.518 | 0.425–0.678 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 26 | 22.0–124.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 14 | 9.0–16.0 | In range |
The measurements compare this signature with three clean reference signatures from the artist. On every measured point it falls within the range his own signatures normally show: upright slant, overall writing angle, height relative to width, and the photo-sensitive measures of ink travel, stroke thickness variation, loops and number of separate strokes. Slant matches the reference average almost exactly. The height-to-width ratio is the furthest from average, but still within his normal variation, and is likely affected by how the crop was taken. Overall, the numbers support the visual finding that this signature is consistent with Mark Pingitore's, though they are based on a small reference set.
Examiner notes
Our signature is on a 2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition sticker (No. 20a, Dale Sim). R2–R7 come from the same Nintendopes Open Edition run and are the closest era and surface match. R1 (Horrorible Kids Series 9) and R8 (Slop Culture Kids) are related Magic Marker Art products from roughly the same early-2020s period. No meaningful era drift is expected across this set. The signer's habitual abbreviated form is used throughout: an angular 'M', a short 'l', a 'P', then a compressed 'gt' ending with a crossbar.
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.
