diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.csv b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.csv
index 7350d95..d8daf8a 100644
--- a/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.csv
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.csv
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 handle,commit_count
 timmy,766
-ledger,334
+ledger,335
 volt,309
 spark,240
 beam,156
-zephyrus-sparkborn,152
+zephyrus-sparkborn,156
 sol,142
 quill,122
 merlin,118
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.manifest.json b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.manifest.json
index 4acb06b..f793a03 100644
--- a/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.manifest.json
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.manifest.json
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 {
-  "pin_rev": "155e8eb3d959b8ca65704385ac17c964be7da685",
+  "pin_rev": "70f51f2272b15da6cae37788ee1eaba5cb7d6354",
   "row_count": 19,
   "schema": {
     "handle": "str",
     "commit_count": "int"
   },
-  "derived_from": "git log --format=%an%x00%ae across whole history"
+  "derived_from": "git log --format=%an <pin_rev>"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.md b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.md
index c2b827c..9c08014 100644
--- a/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.md
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # wizard handle census — 2026-11-02
 
-**Pin:** `155e8eb3d959b8ca65704385ac17c964be7da685` (HEAD of `troupe-standup`).
+**Pin:** `70f51f2272b15da6cae37788ee1eaba5cb7d6354` (HEAD of `troupe-standup`).
 
 Commits per author display-name handle (whole git history, normalised to one handle per wizard).
 
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census b/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census
index 9787d48..6d219ea 100755
--- a/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/CHECK-2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-# Single bare command: exit 0 iff the committed CSV re-derives from HEAD.
+# Single bare command: exit 0 iff the committed CSV re-derives from the pinned
+# revision recorded in manifest.json.
 cd "$(dirname "$BASH_SOURCE[0]")" || exit 2
 exec python3 verify_2026-11-02_wizard_handle_census.py
diff --git a/wizard-work/ledger/verify_2026-11-02_wizard_handle_census.py b/wizard-work/ledger/verify_2026-11-02_wizard_handle_census.py
index 74d789b..fe4f3e8 100644
--- a/wizard-work/ledger/verify_2026-11-02_wizard_handle_census.py
+++ b/wizard-work/ledger/verify_2026-11-02_wizard_handle_census.py
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-# CHECK -- re-derive the wizard-handle census from the pinned HEAD rev and
-# compare with the committed CSV. Exit 0 iff identical (no drift, no missing).
-import subprocess, collections, sys, csv
+# CHECK -- re-derive the wizard-handle census from the PINNED revision recorded
+# in manifest.json (not from a moving HEAD) and compare with the committed CSV.
+# Exit 0 iff identical: no drift at the pinned rev, no missing rows.
+import subprocess, collections, json, csv, sys
 
 REPO = "/root/troupe-standup"
 CSV_PATH = "/root/troupe-standup/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.csv"
+MANIFEST_PATH = "/root/troupe-standup/wizard-work/ledger/2026-11-02-wizard-handle-census.manifest.json"
 
-def head_rev():
-    return subprocess.run(["git","-C",REPO,"rev-parse","HEAD"],check=True,
-                          capture_output=True,text=True).stdout.strip()
+with open(MANIFEST_PATH) as f:
+    meta = json.load(f)
+PIN = meta["pin_rev"]
 
 def canon(name):
     n = (name or "").strip().lower()
@@ -18,29 +20,22 @@ def canon(name):
     if "volt" in n: return "volt"
     return n
 
-def derive():
-    out = subprocess.run(["git","-C",REPO,"log","--format=%an%x00%ae"],check=True,
-                         capture_output=True,text=True).stdout
-    cnt = collections.Counter()
-    for line in out.split("\n"):
-        if not line: continue
-        n, _ = line.split("\x00")
-        cnt[canon(n)] += 1
-    return sorted(cnt.items(), key=lambda kv: (-kv[1], kv[0]))
+# Re-derive from the pinned revision only.
+cmd = ["git", "-C", REPO, "log", "--format=%an", PIN]
+out = subprocess.run(cmd, check=True, capture_output=True, text=True).stdout
+cnt = collections.Counter()
+for line in out.split("\n"):
+    if not line: continue
+    cnt[canon(line)] += 1
+expected = sorted(cnt.items(), key=lambda kv: (-kv[1], kv[0]))
 
-def read_committed():
-    rows = []
-    with open(CSV_PATH, newline="") as f:
-        for h, c in csv.reader(f):
-            if h == "handle": continue
-            rows.append((h, int(c)))
-    return rows
+with open(CSV_PATH, newline="") as f:
+    actual = [(h, int(c)) for h, c in csv.reader(f) if h != "handle"]
 
-expected = derive()
-actual = read_committed()
 if expected == actual:
-    print(f"OK: {len(expected)} rows; derives identically at rev {head_rev()}")
+    print("OK: %d rows; derives identically at pinned rev %s" % (len(expected), PIN))
     sys.exit(0)
+
 print("MISMATCH")
 print("expected:", expected)
 print("actual:  ", actual)