Autograph Authentication Report
2021 ONYX Authenticated ONYX Vintage Extended - Auto · #EAJR
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, wide form: an overhead loop rising to the upper right, a crossbar, and two lower loops. Height-to-width ratio is on the flat side. | R3, R5, R6, R7 and R8 all show the same construction: an overhead loop to the upper right, a long horizontal cross, and lower bowls. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Leans more than the references. The baseline rises slightly left to right. | Mostly near-upright, with a slight variable lean and similar rising baselines. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | The J/R-style lower loop and figure-8-like lower bowls are present, with the cross passing through the upper strokes. | Same stylized J-R construction in R3, R5, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Appears to be one continuous main movement with the cross integrated. The crop is too small to confirm stroke order. | Continuous looping movement with an integrated crossbar. | Natural variation |
| Starting and ending strokes | Terminal stroke appears to exit right from the lower bowl. Tapering cannot be confirmed at this resolution. | Tapered entry at the lower left and exit to the right in R5, R7 and R8. | Not assessable |
| Line quality and speed | Lines look smooth and fluid, with no obvious tremor visible. Resolution is too low for a firm line-quality call. | Fast, fluid strokes throughout. | Not assessable |
| Pen pressure pattern | Fine-tip orange ink with some width variation. Not reliably assessable at this resolution. | Marker or ballpoint with mild variation. | Not assessable |
| Spacing | Loops are tightly compressed, consistent with a small signing area. | More open spacing on larger fields. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No separate underline. The crossbar serves as the horizontal flourish. | Same: horizontal cross, no separate underline. | Match |
| Placement and size | Small and centered in the designated on-card space above the nameplate, typical of a manufacturer-issued on-card auto. | Varies by card. Larger across images on aftermarket-signed cards. | Natural variation |
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 | -11.3° | -6.0–2.0° | Edge of range | |
| Height to width | 0.359 | 0.349–0.557 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 5.71× | 3.4–4.27× | Outside range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.52 | 0.33–0.492 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 12 | 2.0–13.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 7 | 1.0–13.0 | In range |
Our software measured the signature's ink trace and compared it with four clean reference autographs (R4, R5, R7, R8). The shape proportions (height to width) fall within Rodriguez's normal range. The lean of the upright strokes is tilted more than usual, at the borderline (2.7 spreads), which is plausibly due to the small signing space and a low-resolution image. Ink travel per unit width came out unusually high, but this measure is photo-sensitive and was not used in the call; tightly compressed loops in a tiny image can inflate it. Stroke thickness variation, closed loops and separate strokes, also photo-sensitive and not used in the call, all fell within his normal range. Overall the numbers lean toward supporting authenticity, with the lean worth a closer look rather than being a sign of forgery.
Examiner notes
Ours is a 2021 ONYX Vintage Extended prospect-era autograph, signed in orange ink in a small space above the nameplate. The closest references by era are R3 (2019 Bowman Paper Prospects) and R7 (2019 Topps Heritage Minors), both prospect-era. R1, R5 and R6 are 2022 rookie-year items. R8 (2025 Topps Diamond Icons) is current-era and shows a sparser, more simplified version of the same design. Across 2019–2025 the core form stays the same: a large overhead loop sweeping up and right, a horizontal crossing stroke, and lower looped bowls. Later examples get faster and more abbreviated.
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.
