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 | Two-part 'J-ulai' + 'G-lw' with a long tail. The signature is wider than tall (height to width 0.476). | R3, R7 and R8 have the same two-part compact form and are stacked or inline depending on space. R2 and R6 are inline and closely similar. R1 and R4 are an elongated variant with a looped J underline. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright with a slight right slant (5.9°). The baseline rises gently into the final tail. | Measured references range from -6.0° to 10.8° (average 4.15°). R2 and R8 show a similar slight rise. | Match |
| Letter construction – J | Tall vertical downstroke ending in a leftward hook. No loop, no underline. | Same construction in R2, R3, R5, R6, R7 and R8. R1 and R4 use a looped J that sweeps under the first name. | Match |
| Letter construction – 'ulian' and G | Compressed 'ulai' with an i-dot. The G is an open loop with a descender crossing back through, followed by abbreviated 'lw/lov'. | R3, R6, R7 and R8 show the same compressed 'ulai' and the looped G-descender figure. R2 is similar at lower resolution. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | First name written largely connected; a break between first and last name; surname connected after the G. | Same pattern in R3, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | The J starts with a light entry. The tail ends in a tapered upward flick on the right. | R3, R6 and R8 have similar tapered, upward-ending tails. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluent strokes with no visible tremor, hesitation or retouching at this resolution. Curves are smooth. | References are equally fluent marker signatures. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Visible width variation, heavier on downstrokes and lighter on exits (thickness variation 0.385). | References range 0.216 to 0.458. Similar downstroke emphasis is visible in R3 and R8. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between first and last names; letters tightly packed within each name. | Comparable in R2, R6 and R8. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline; only a terminal upward tail. | Most references have none. R1 and R4 use the J-loop underline variant. | Natural variation |
| Placement and size | Centered in the designated signature area of the card, above the name bar, in blue marker. | Placement is consistent with how Topps Masterwork on-card autos are normally signed. References vary in placement because they are on photos. | Match |
| Reproduction indicators | No halftone or dot pattern is visible at this resolution. The ink appears to sit on the card surface. | Not applicable. | Not assessable |
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 | 5.9° | -6.0–10.8° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.476 | 0.255–0.927 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.17× | 2.06–3.94× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.385 | 0.216–0.458 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 2 | 2.0–4.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 6 | 3.0–9.0 | In range |
Our software measured six features of the ink and compared them with four clean reference signatures (R3, R4, R6, R8). On every feature, this signature sits well inside the range Glover's own signatures show. Slant is 5.9° against a typical 4.15°. The height-to-width shape is 0.476 against a typical 0.67. Ink travel, stroke thickness variation, loop count and stroke count are also within normal limits. None is more than one 'normal spread' from his average, where up to two is normal for him. Four of these measures are sensitive to photo quality, and the reference pool is small and unauthenticated, so the numbers are supporting evidence rather than proof. They do support the visual finding that this signature is consistent with Glover's hand.
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2015 Topps Star Wars Masterwork autograph card, so it was most likely signed around 2014-2015, when Glover was in his late 70s. None of the references are dated. R2, R3, R6, R7 and R8 show the compact later-career form: a tall single-stroke J with a left hook, a compressed 'ulai' with a dot, and a looped G with a short 'lw/lov' finish. R1 and R4, both Canadian Graphiti, show a variant with a large looping J underline. That variant may be a different session or era style. R5 is too fragmentary to place.
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.
