Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #15a
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: a zigzag 'M' with a long lead-in, then a looped 'P' and a compressed trailing section ending in a crossing stroke. | R1, R3, R4, R8 show the same structure: a zigzag M-group, a gap, then a P with loop and a terminal cross ('t'-like) stroke. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Mild leftward tilt of uprights. The baseline runs roughly level to slightly falling. On the card it is written vertically up the left margin. | Uprights range from slightly leftward to upright, with near-level baselines (R1, R4, R8). | Match |
| Letter construction | The M is built as a rising lead-in plus a sharp zigzag of peaks. The P is a tall stem with a rounded bowl and a loop running into the remainder. | Identical M zigzag construction in R1, R3, R4, R8. The P stem and bowl are the same in R1, R3, R8. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The M-group is connected in one movement. There is a pen lift before the P, and the P connects into the trailing letters. | Same lift between the M-group and the P in R1, R3, R4, R8. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Long tapered lead-in to the M. The ending carries a horizontal crossing stroke, partly cut off at the edge of the crop. | Tapered lead-in and terminal horizontal crossing stroke in R1, R3, R8. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident marker strokes with tapered ends. No visible tremor, patching or blunt stops at this resolution. | Fast, fluid marker strokes throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier on downstrokes and lighter on tapered entries and exits, typical of a felt-tip marker. | Similar marker pressure pattern. Measured thickness variation sits within the reference range. | Match |
| Spacing | Clear gap between the M-group and the P-group. The trailing letters are compressed. | Same grouping and gap. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The terminal cross stroke serves as the only flourish. | No underline. Terminal cross stroke as the flourish. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically along the left side, over the light-blue background beside the character. Medium size, blue marker. | Signed across the artwork in blue, black or dark marker, usually horizontal. | Natural variation |
| Height-to-width ratio (measured) | 0.276 | 0.168–0.194 | 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 | -8.3° | -15.2–0.1° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -3.3° | -3.5–2.2° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.276 | 0.168–0.194 | Edge of range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.98× | 2.34–4.06× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.515 | 0.404–0.664 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 8 | 10.0–40.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 12 | 7.0–21.0 | In range |
The software measured seven features of this signature and compared them with three clean reference signatures. Six fell well within the range Pingitore's own signatures normally show: the slant of the letters, the overall angle, how much ink is laid down, stroke thickness, loops and pen lifts. One feature, how tall the signature is compared with its width, came out somewhat high. This is most likely because the photo crop cuts off the end of the signature, which makes it look narrower than it really is. Overall the numbers support the signature being consistent with Pingitore's genuine signatures, but measurements alone do not authenticate it.
Examiner notes
Our sticker is from the 2021 Nintendopes Open Edition, and five of the eight references (R2–R6, R8) are artist autos from the same set. R1 (Horrorible Kids Series 9) and R7 (Slop Culture Kids) are other Magic Marker Art releases from about the same period. Era drift is therefore minimal. The remaining differences are best explained by surface (glossy sticker stock), marker type 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.
