Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #12b
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 tall angular 'M' running into a short 'k/h' form, a pen lift, then a 'P' with a broad bowl, a compact 'g/y' and a 't' with a long crossbar. | The same 'Mk Pgt' / 'Mh Pyt' abbreviation appears in R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R8, with matching proportions. R1 and R7 show the same structure written vertically. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Strong rightward slant; the baseline rises slightly left to right. | Pronounced forward slant and a slightly ascending baseline in R2–R6 and R8. | Match |
| Letter construction | 'M' built from sharp, nearly straight diagonal strokes with pointed apexes. The 'P' has an open, rounded bowl, followed by a small looped letter and a 't' whose crossbar runs to the right. | Same angular 'M' made of diagonal slashes (R3, R6, R8) and the same rounded 'P' bowl with a trailing 't' crossbar (R2, R4, R6, R8). | Match |
| Connecting strokes | 'M' joins directly into the 'k' form. There is a clear lift between the first-name and surname groups, and the 'P' group is partly connected. | The same lift between the two groups and the same partial connection in the surname appear in R2–R6 and R8. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts look like flicked entries without blunt dots. The 't' crossbar ends in a tapered exit. | Tapered entries and exits, with a long final crossbar, especially in R3, R4 and R6. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluent, rapid strokes with no visible tremor, hesitation or patching at this resolution. | Rapid, gestural execution throughout the references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Some variation in line width and ink density along strokes, consistent with a felt-tip or marker on a glossy sticker. | Variable pressure is visible in R6 and R8. The paint-pen references (R2–R5) are not directly comparable for pressure. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Compact first-name group, moderate gap, then a wider surname group. | Same spacing rhythm in R2, R4, R6 and R8. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline or paraph. The 't' crossbar serves as the terminal flourish. | No underline in any reference; the 't' crossbar terminal is consistent. | Match |
| Placement and size | Written vertically along the left margin over the pink background, in blue ink, moderately sized, avoiding the artwork. | R1 and R7 (Horrorible Kids cards) show the same vertical, edge-of-card placement. Size varies with the item, as expected. | Match |
| Reproduction signs | Ink appears to vary in density, and no halftone or dot pattern is visible in the crop. The signature does not obviously sit under the sticker's gloss, but resolution is limited. | Not applicable. | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2021 Nintendopes open-edition artist sticker (© Mark Pingitore / Magic Marker Art, LLC), so the signature is likely c.2021–2023. The references appear to span roughly 2015 (R6, a GPK 2015 Series 1 card) to c.2019–2023 (the Funko Pop boxes and Horrorible Kids cards). Across this span Pingitore uses one stable, abbreviated 'Mk Pgt' form, so no era-driven change is expected or seen. The yellow paint-pen examples on acetate (R2–R5) are larger and broader because of pen and surface, not era.
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.
