Autograph Authentication Report
2025 SMZ Comics Metal Trading Card - Artist Auto - Eddie Nuñez · #10
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 'Nui' form. A tall, narrow, angular N dominates, followed by small, low 'ui' strokes and a separate long rising accent stroke. | R5, R6, R7 and R8 show the same 'Nui' structure with the same proportions. R1 and R3 are essentially the same. R2 and R4 are fuller 'Nuñ/Nuna' variants with the same tall-N dominance. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright to slight right slant. The 'ui' sits on a low baseline near the N's foot, with a slight upward drift toward the accent. | Same near-upright N and low 'ui' baseline in R5–R8. R1 and R2 are slightly more right-leaning. | Match |
| Letter construction | N built as a narrow zig-zag with a sharp apex and a tall right-hand upstroke. The 'ui' is formed as compressed small arcades or garlands. | Identical N zig-zag construction and compressed garland 'ui' in R5, R6, R7 and R8. The same N with an extended tail appears in R2 and R4. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | N connects into the 'ui' in one continuous movement. The accent is a separate lift. | Same continuous N-to-'ui' connection, with the accent as a separate stroke, in all Crown references. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts low-left at the N's first stroke. The accent begins near the 'ui' and rises up-right to a tapered, flicked finish. | R5, R6, R7 and R8 all end with the long up-right accent flick at a similar angle (about 35–45°). R1 has the same flick, and R2 has a short tilde instead. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Appears fluid, with no visible tremor or blunt stops at this resolution. Ends appear tapered, consistent with speed. | Fast, fluid paint-pen lines across all references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Opaque paint-pen line with fairly even width, slightly thinner at the flicks. | Paint pen on metal gives similar near-uniform width in R5–R8. Pressure is hard to judge with this medium. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tight. The 'ui' is compressed against the N, and the accent is offset to the right. | Same tight spacing in R5–R8 and R3. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The only flourish is the rising accent stroke. | No underlines in any reference. The accent stroke is the consistent flourish. | Match |
| Placement and size | Lower-left of the card over the artwork, moderate size, purple paint pen. The '10/10' number is part of the card design. | R5–R8 show similar on-art placement in paint pens of various colours (white, red, light blue). Ink colour varies by card. | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink colour differs from the card's monochrome printing. No halftone visible at this resolution. | N/A | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2025 SMZ Comics metal card (Batman & Joker, 10/10), Crown cert 000059930. R5–R8 are from the same 2025 SMZ artist-auto series, with adjacent Crown certs 000059929–000059935, so they are the closest era and surface match. R1, R2 and R4 (R4 labeled 2026) show a fuller 'Nuna/Nuñ' form of the same signature. R3 is an undated SMZ card. All are recent, roughly 2025–2026, so career-era drift is not a factor. The differences between abbreviated 'Nui' and fuller 'Nuna' forms look like signing speed and space, not 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.
