Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #5b
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 'Mk Pgt' form: a tall angular M, a small k/c-like hump, a gap, then a P with a large upper bowl and a 'gt' ending in a long crossbar. The first-name block is about the same width as the surname block. | The same abbreviated two-block structure appears in R1–R8. The M is tall and angular, the k is compact, the P bowl is large and the ending is a long horizontal t-cross. Proportions are closest to R3, R5 and R6. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | The card is signed vertically along the left border. Relative to the signature, the slant is moderately rightward and the baseline is roughly level with a slight rise into the t-cross. | Moderate right slant, level to slightly rising baseline (R3, R5, R6). The Funko examples are looser and more rising, as expected on curved plastic with a broad pen. | Match |
| Letter construction | The M is built as sharp up-down zigzag peaks with a pointed apex, followed by a small rounded k/c. The P has a downstroke and then a wide bowl that flows into a g-like loop and the t. | Same zigzag-peak M and pointed apex in all references. The P with its large open bowl matches R1, R5, R6 and R7. The g/t terminal construction matches R2, R3 and R8. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The M connects into the k in one movement. There is a pen lift between the name blocks. The P bowl connects into the g/t. | Same pattern throughout: the M and k are joined, there is a lift before the P, and the P links into the terminal letters (R3, R5, R2). | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | The M starts from a lower-left entry stroke. The signature ends in an extended t-crossbar that appears to taper. | Lower-left entry and a long tapered t-cross terminal are seen in R2, R3, R5, R6 and R8. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | At this resolution the strokes look fluid and confident with smooth curves. No obvious tremor or patching is visible. | Fast, fluid execution in all references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Blue fine/medium marker with fairly even width. Slight thinning on the upstrokes and terminals is suggested but cannot be confirmed. | The marker references show similarly even width with tapered ends (R4, R5, R6). The paint-pen Funko examples are not comparable for pressure. | Not assessable |
| Spacing | Clear gap between the 'Mk' and 'Pgt' blocks, with tight spacing inside each block. | Same inter-block gap and tight intra-block spacing in R1–R8. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The only flourish is the extended t-cross. | No underlines in any reference. The extended t-cross is the habitual flourish. | Match |
| Placement and size | Vertical, along the left margin over the artwork background, about one-third of the card height. This is plausible for an artist signing a small sticker card around the artwork. | The card references (R4, R5, R6) are signed horizontally across the art at a similar relative size. Vertical placement is a reasonable adaptation to this design and not a facsimile indicator, since no fixed or printed placement is evident. | Natural variation |
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2021 Nintendopes sticker (Open Edition artist auto), so it is likely a 2021–2022 signing. R5 and R6 are 2015 GPK Series 1 cards, roughly six years earlier. R3 and R4 are undated GPK/Horrible Kids items, probably mid-2010s to early 2020s. R1/R7 and R2/R8 are Funko Pop signings, likely 2020s, done with a broad yellow paint pen on clear plastic windows. The abbreviated 'Mk Pgt' form looks stable across all of these periods, so there is no era conflict. The broad-marker, rough-surface Funko examples show exaggerated stroke width and looseness that comes from surface and pen, not a change in his signature.
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.
