Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #16a
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' cluster is followed by a 'P' with a short looped body, then a compressed trailing 'tore' group ending in a crossed horizontal stroke. Overall it is long and low. | R1–R8 all show the same abbreviated structure: an angular zig-zag 'M', a separated 'P' unit and a compressed trailing group with a crossbar finish. R1 is the largest and clearest exemplar. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Signed vertically along the left edge. Once rotated it reads with a slight rightward slant and a fairly straight baseline that rises a little at the terminal. | R1, R2, R5 and R6 show a slight right slant with a mostly level baseline. R7 and R8 show a similar slight rise toward the end. | Match |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is built as sharp upstroke-downstroke peaks with a hooked lead-in. The 'P' has a tall stem and a compact bowl. The trailing letters collapse into a looped 'g'-like form and a crossed 't'. | R1 shows the same peaked 'M' with a hooked entry, and the same 'P' stem and bowl followed by a 't'-like cross. R3 and R4 show identical shorthand of the trailing letters. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | There is a pen break between the 'M' unit and the 'P'. The trailing group is joined to the 'P' area with a flowing connector. | Every reference shows the same break after the 'M' and continuous joining across the 'P'-to-terminal group. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the 'M'. The terminal is a long horizontal cross stroke that exits rightward and appears tapered. | R1 shows a long tapered horizontal exit stroke. R2, R4 and R6 end with a similar crossbar flick. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes appear fluid and confident, with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. Some lines thin out on the curves. | The references show fast, fluid execution with similar tapering. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Darker, heavier ink on the downstrokes of the 'M' and the 'P' stem, lighter on connectors. Partly obscured by the busy purple and lightning background. | R1 and R5 show comparable heavier downstrokes with lighter connectors. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the 'M' unit and the 'P'. The trailing group is tightly compressed. | Spacing proportions are comparable. R3 and R7 are slightly more spread out. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The terminal crossbar acts as the only flourish. | No underlines in any reference. The crossbar terminal appears throughout. | Match |
| Placement and size | Placed vertically along the left side of the artwork in blue ink, overlapping the lightning and background. | The reference crops appear horizontal over the artwork, but full-card placement is not shown. Blue ink also appears in R1, R6 and R8, and black or dark ink in others. | Natural variation |
Examiner notes
Our item is a 2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition card (No. 16a), so the signature likely dates from 2021 or shortly after. R2–R8 are from the same Nintendopes Open Edition run and are effectively contemporaneous. R1 (Horrorible Kids Series 9) is a different Magic Marker Art release of a similar period. No meaningful era gap is expected, so differences should be read as surface, pen and speed variation, not career evolution.
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.
