Autograph Authentication Report
2020 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: 35th Anniversary - David Gross Auto (01/50) · #17
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 signature: a large looping initial that opens from the upper left, a compact 'd'/'t'-like middle cluster, then a long trailing stroke to the right. | R1 and R2 show the same abbreviated structure: a big entry loop, a compact middle cluster and a long trailing tail, in near-identical proportions. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Mostly upright to slightly right-leaning. The baseline runs along the upper part of the red nameplate and the loop rises into the artwork above. | R1 and R2 are upright to slightly right-leaning and sit at the same height on the nameplate, with the loop rising above it. | Match |
| Letter construction | The initial is built as one wide counter-clockwise loop that descends and returns to the baseline. The middle cluster has an upright stem with a crossing stroke and a second taller ascender. | R1 and R2 use the same loop-then-descend construction and the same stem-and-crossbar middle cluster. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The loop connects to the baseline and runs into the middle cluster. There is a break before the final 'h'/'n'-like form and its tail. | R1 and R2 show similar connections, with a comparable break before the final form. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts at the upper left of the loop. Ends in a tapered horizontal tail to the right with no blunt stop visible. | R1 and R2 show the same tapered horizontal finishing tail. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident curves with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. The tail tapers, which suggests speed. | R1 and R2 show similar fluid line quality, though their images are low-resolution. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Ink density varies slightly, darker in the loop and middle strokes and lighter toward the tail. This is consistent with a felt-tip marker. | R1 and R2 show comparable marker-weight strokes. Their resolution is too low for a detailed pressure comparison. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | The middle components are tightly spaced and followed by a gap before the final form. | R1 and R2 show similar tight spacing. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | There is no separate underline. The trailing tail serves as the terminal flourish. | R1 and R2 have the same terminal tail and no underline. | Match |
| Placement and size | Placed across the red 'David Gross Artist Autograph' nameplate, with the loop extending above the nameplate into the artwork. | R1 and R2 use the same placement, with the loop overlapping above the nameplate. | Match |
| Ink color | Dark blue marker. | R1 and R2 appear dark blue/black. Color rendering differs between the photos. | Natural variation |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2020 Topps Garbage Pail Kids 35th Anniversary artist autograph (Street Art #17, 01/50), so it was likely signed around 2020. R1 and R2 are PSA/DNA-slabbed Dave Gross GPK artist autographs on the same red-nameplate design, so they come from the same era and the same card stock. R3–R8 are not of the GPK artist at all. They are signatures of David Gross the physicist (a full 'David Gross' signature on physics diagrams, plus a 'Brussels 2010' photo), a different person, so era does not apply to them.
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.
