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 'Nu' plus a separate accent flick. The tall N dominates, roughly twice the height of the 'u'. The flick sits upper right. | Every reference shows the same abbreviated 'Nu' with an accent flick, a dominant tall N and a smaller 'u' (R1–R8). | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-vertical to slightly right-leaning N. The 'u' sits on a baseline at roughly the N's lower terminus. | Near-vertical to slight right lean (R3, R4, R6, R8). R5 and R7 are slightly more upright or compressed. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | N is built as a down–up–down zigzag with a small hook or curl at the top of the first stroke. The 'u' is two short peaks ending in a rising stroke. | Same zigzag N with a top hook or curl (pronounced in R5, R6 and R8; subtler in R3 and R4). Same compact 'u' construction. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | N connects continuously into the 'u'. The accent flick is a separate lift. | Continuous N-to-u connection, with the flick lifted separately, in all references. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | N starts at the top with a light hook. The final 'u' upstroke ends cleanly. The flick starts thick lower-left and tapers to a fine point upper-right. | Same tapered flick, rising left to right, in R1, R3, R4, R6, R7 and R8. Same hooked N start. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes with no visible tremor or hesitation. The flick has a fast-taper terminal. | Fast, fluid paint-marker strokes in all references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier on the downstrokes. The flick fades to a point. There is mild density variation along the strokes. | Similar heavier downstrokes and tapered flick. Opaque paint-marker ink limits pressure reading in all of them. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tight spacing between the N and the 'u'. The flick is close above the 'u'. | Tight spacing. The flick distance above the 'u' varies slightly (wider in R4 and R8). | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | Single accent flick only, no underline. | Single accent flick, no underline, in all references. | Match |
| Placement and size | Lower-right quadrant over the artwork, above the printed 10/10 and near the printed 'NUÑEZ' art signature. Moderate size. | Placement over the artwork in the lower-middle or right area, at a similar relative scale, on the SMZ references. | Match |
| Reproduction indicators | Pink ink appears to sit on top of the card surface with stroke-edge irregularity. No halftone dot pattern is visible at this resolution. It is distinct from the printed black 'NUÑEZ' art signature. | Same hand-applied paint-marker appearance on the SMZ references. | Natural variation |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2025 SMZ Comics metal card (label 2025 No. 10, numbered 10/10). R3–R8 are the same SMZ metal artist-auto product with sequential Crown certs (000059929–000059935, ours 000059933), so they are almost certainly the same signing period and likely the same submission. R1 (Omni-Man) and R2 (Gengar vs Pikachu) are also recent SMZ metal cards. All examples are contemporaneous, so era-driven change is not a factor. Surface and pen are the same throughout: an opaque paint marker on metal in varying colours. R2 even uses a similar pink/red.
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.
