Autograph Authentication Report
2015 Topps Star Wars Masterwork: Authentic Autograph · #ø
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 | Compact. Angular Z, compressed 'achari' run, then a tall J-like upright with a long descender. Wider than tall overall. | R7 (card) shows the same compact Z + compressed middle + tall upright. R1–R6 and R8 show a greatly elongated Z diagonal and a long trailing horizontal sweep, the same skeleton enlarged for photo space. | Natural variation |
| Slant and baseline | Middle letters sit on a roughly level baseline. The tall upright is near vertical, with a slight rightward lean on the lead-in stroke. | All references show a level to slightly rising baseline and a near-vertical tall upright. | Match |
| Letter construction — 'Z' | Short top bar, sharp diagonal to lower left, base stroke run rightward into 'a'. | Same three-stroke angular Z in every reference. R7 is proportionally closest. Photo references exaggerate the diagonal length. | Match |
| Letter construction — middle letters and capital 'J' | 'achari' reduced to small loops and humps, an 'h' with an ascender loop, then a tall upstroke/downstroke forming the J with a descender below the baseline. | R1–R8 show a compressed 'achariah' and a tall upright for the J that crosses the trailing stroke. R7's construction is nearly identical to ours. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Z base flows into 'a'. The middle letters are connected. The J upstroke is made with a pen lift/restart, as in the references. | Same connection pattern. The Z feeds the middle letters and the tall upright is a separate, emphatic stroke. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts at the Z top bar with no blunt dot visible. Ends with a short trailing horizontal/tail at right. | R1, R2 and R5 end with a '~' or dash. R7 ends with a short comma-like tail. Photo references have long trailing sweeps. | Natural variation |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes look fluid with consistent curvature. The tall upright looks quickly made. No obvious tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, confident strokes throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Ink is darker where strokes overlap and at turns, which suggests real ink rather than flat print. Pressure gradation cannot be resolved from the scan. | Paint and metallic pens on photos mask pressure. R7's ballpoint/marker shows similar density variation. | Not assessable |
| Spacing | Tight middle cluster with an open gap before the tall upright. | Same tight cluster followed by an emphatic upright in all references. | Match |
| Flourishes and inscriptions | No inscription. Short tail only. | Photo references add 'Kit Fisto / Jedi Master' and long sweeps. R7 (card) has no inscription. | Natural variation |
| Placement and size | Centered in the card's designated autograph area. The descender reaches toward the nameplate. Sized to the available space. | R7 is fitted to its sticker window. Photo references are large and free-placed. | Match |
Examiner notes
Ours is a 2015 Topps Star Wars Masterwork on-card autograph, so it was likely signed around 2014–2015. R7, a 2002 Topps Attack of the Clones Widevision sticker auto, is the closest analogue in format: a small signing area with a constrained signature. R1–R6 and R8 are undated 8x10 photo signings, probably convention or private signings from the 2000s–2010s. On that larger surface he signs a much more expanded, flamboyant version with inscriptions. The differences between the card-sized and photo-sized versions are best explained by signing surface and available space, not by 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.
