Autograph Authentication Report
2025 SMZ Comics Metal Trading Card - Artist Auto - Eddie Nuñez · #8
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'. The tall N dominates at roughly 2x the height of the 'ui'. The 'ui' is compact, and a long accent stroke rises up and to the right. | R2, R3, R5, R6, R7 and R8 show the same tall-N / small-'ui' / rising-accent structure. R1 and R4 show a fuller 'Nuña' form, which reads as an alternate signing habit. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright to slight right lean on the N. The 'ui' sits on a gently rising baseline. | Same near-upright N and slightly rising baseline across R3, R5, R6, R7 and R8. R2 leans a little more. | Match |
| Letter construction | The N starts with a long upstroke into a high peak with a narrow loop, then a sharp diagonal down and a tall right stem. The 'u' is a quick double cup. The 'i' is a short stroke. | The same N construction with a high narrow apex appears in R3, R5, R6, R7 and R8. The 'ui' cups are quick and angular in all of them. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The N connects into the 'u' via the right stem. The accent is a separate lift. | Same pattern: continuous N-to-'u' and a detached accent stroke (R3, R5, R6, R7, R8). | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | The accent stroke tapers at its upper end. The N start appears to taper. No obvious blunt stops are visible at this resolution. | The references show tapered accent terminals and flicked N starts. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes. There is some multi-line doubling in the N, typical of paint-pen skip on brushed metal. No visible tremor or hesitation. | R7 and R5 show similar doubled and streaky white or blue paint-pen lines on metal. All references are fast-written. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Ink density varies, heavier on the downstrokes and thinner on the accent and upstrokes. | Similar variation in the references, within the limits of paint pen. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tight 'ui' set close to the N's right stem. | Same tight spacing in R3, R6, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. Single rising accent stroke only. | No underlines in any reference. Accent or tilde present in all. | Match |
| Placement and size | Lower left of the Batgirl art over the leg area, white marker, clear of the '8/10' serial. Moderate size relative to the card. | R7 (also Batgirl) shows a white signature in an apparently identical position over the same art area. Other references sit in open art areas. | Match |
| Reproduction indicators (dot pattern, under-gloss ink) | No halftone pattern is visible in the crop. Ink appears to sit as a raised paint-pen line. Resolution is insufficient to confirm surface ink versus print. | Not applicable. | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
All material is contemporaneous. Our card is a 2025 SMZ Comics metal artist auto, and all eight references are SMZ metal artist autos from the same recent program, signed with paint or metallic markers on metal. No career-era drift is expected. Two signing forms appear: an abbreviated 'Nui' with a rising accent stroke (R2, R3, R5, R6, R7, R8), and a fuller 'Nuña/Nuñ' form with a tilde (R1, R4). Ours uses the abbreviated form.
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.
