Autograph Authentication Report
2021 Nintendopes Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #3b
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 P' with a trailing t-like crossing. Zigzag M, small looped k, tall P stem with a compact bowl, short crossed terminal. | Same abbreviated 'Mk P(t)' structure in every exemplar (R1–R8). Funko examples (R1, R2, R4) are larger and wider-spaced because of the paint pen. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Strong right slant relative to the writing line. Baseline rises slightly. Written vertically along the left edge of the pipe, so the image must be rotated to read it. | Consistent right slant with a slightly rising baseline in R1, R2, R3, R6 and R7. | Match |
| Letter construction | M made of sharp angular peaks running into a looped k. P formed as a tall downstroke with a separate bowl. Terminal t-style cross. | Angular M peaks flowing into a k loop in R1, R2, R3, R6 and R7. Separate P stem and bowl in R1–R4. Terminal crossing visible in R1, R2 and R6. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | M connected continuously to k. Pen lift before P. Short connection or lift into the terminal. | Same M–k continuity and lift before P across the references. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts appear tapered on the M entry. Terminal cross ends with a flick. No obvious blunt stops at this resolution. | Tapered entries and flicked terminal crosses are typical (R1, R2, R6). | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Appears fluent and fast, with smooth curves and no visible tremor or hesitation at available resolution. | Fast, fluent, gestural execution throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Some width variation in the blue ink consistent with marker pressure changes. Hard to judge at this resolution. | Card examples (R3, R6, R7) show modest pressure variation. Paint-pen examples are fairly uniform. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Compact. Small gap between the 'Mk' and 'P' groups. | Compact on cards (R3, R6, R7). Wider on Funko boxes (R1, R2, R4) because of the larger surface and tool. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The terminal cross acts as the only flourish. | No underlines in any reference. Terminal cross present. | Match |
| Placement and size | Placed vertically over the artwork on the left side of the pipe, sized to fit the image area. | Placement varies freely across the art in the card exemplars (R3, R5, R8), which is typical of artist-signed sketch and sticker cards. | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink appears to sit on top of the printed artwork, with variable density. No halftone or dot pattern visible in the crop. | Not applicable. | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Our card is the 2021 Nintendopes sticker set (No. 3b, Open Edition), an artist-produced Magic Marker Art release, so it was likely signed in 2021 or later. References run from the 2015 GPK Series 1 era (R3, R7) through recent Funko Pop and fan-art items (R1, R2, R4, R6) and Slop Culture/Horrible Kids cards (R5, R8). The 'Mk P' abbreviated form looks stable across that span. Differences in size and stroke width come mainly from surface and pen (paint pen on Funko windows versus fine or medium marker on cards), not from 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.
