Printed security with hallmarks

• US 4,591,707 A
• Filed: 08/23/1984
• Issued: 05/27/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1978
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GAO Gesellschaft Fur Automation und Organisation mbH
• Original Assignee: GAO Gesellschaft Fur Automation und Organisation mbH
• Inventors: Kaule, Wittich, Stenzel, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/644,641
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 235/448, 235/451, 235/493
• US Class Current: 283/83
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/48 Elements suited for physical verification, e.g. by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/003 using security elements using digital security elements G07D7/004
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/904 Credit card

Abstract

This invention relates to a security paper with a hallmark in the form of a coating applied by vacuum deposition techniques to the surface of a paper substrate. The coating is very thin and almost invisible to the naked eye even as a metal layer, although permitting accurate automatic or machine examination for verification purposes. the absorption of the hallmarks in a certain range of the wavelength of the spectrum, the exiting spcetrum of luminescence, the photoconductivity and/or the electrical conductivity of the hallmarks are characteristics used during the automatic examination of the authenticity of the security paper.

Claims

1. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a substantially invisible hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper, said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a substance having a measurable physical property selected from the group consisting of fluorescence, photoconductivity and UV absorbency;

said measurable physical property providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by a deposition technique such as evaporation or cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

2. A security paper according to claim 1, wherein the coating is a member selected from the group consisting of metals, metal compounds and mixtures thereof.

3. A security paper according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the coating is applied by cathode sputtering.

4. A security paper according to one of the claim 1, wherein the hallmark substance is applied in the form of stripes, patterns or figures.

5. A security paper according to one of the claim 1, wherein the coating has fluorescent properties.

6. A security paper according to claim 5, wherein the fluorescent emission of the coating can be excited by light with wavelength less than 400 nm, preferably less than 300 nm.

7. A security paper according to one of the claim 1, wherein the coating has photoconductive properties.

8. A security according to claim 7, wherein the coating consists of zinc sulfide doped with copper.

9. A security paper according to claim 5, wherein the coating consists of yttrium oxide doped with europium.

10. A security paper according to claim 1, wherein the coating has ultraviolet-absorbing properties.

11. A security paper according to claim 10, wherein the coating and the paper substrate are matched in such a way that the absorption edge of the coating is still in the transmission range of the paper substrate.

12. A security paper according to claim 11, wherein the coating consists of zinc oxide.

13. A security paper according to claim 1, wherein the coating has electrically conducting properties.

14. A security paper according to claim 13, wherein the coating consists of stannic oxide.

15. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper;

said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a substance having electrically conducting properties providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by a deposition technique such as evaporation or cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying film, etc.

16. A security paper according to claim 15, wherein the coating is substantially invisible to the naked eye.

17. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper, said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a substance having a measurable physical property providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

27. A security paper according to one of the claims 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 or 26, wherein the hallmark substance is applied in the form of stripes, patterns or figures.

18. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper;

said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a fluorescing substance which emits light in a certain spectral range when exposed to light of a different spectral range;

the fluorescence of said substance providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

28. A security paper according to one of the claims 18 or 26, wherein the fluorescent emission of the coating can be excited by light with wavelength less than 400 nm, preferably less than 300 nm.

29. A security paper according to one of the claims 18 or 26 wherein the coating consists of yttrium oxide doped with europium.

30. A security paper according to one of the claims 18, 19, 23 or 24, wherein the coating consists of zinc sulfide doped with copper.

19. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper;

said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a photoconducting substance, having a measurable electrically conductive property when exposed to light of a certain spectral range;

said electrically conductive property providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

20. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper, said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a substance which has an absorption spectrum in the UV-spectral range differing from that of said security paper;

the absorption spectrum of said substance providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

31. A security paper according to one of the claims 20 or 25, wherein the coating and the paper substrate are matched in such a way that the absorption edge of the coating is still in the transmission range of the paper substrate.

32. A security paper according to claim 31, wherein the coating consists of zinc oxide.

21. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper;

said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a substance having electrically conducting properties and providing conductivity values ranging between predetermined upper and lower limits for providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying film, etc.

33. A security paper according to one of the claims 21 or 26, wherein the coating is a member selected from the group consisting of metals, metal compounds and mixtures thereof.

22. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a substantially invisible hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper;

said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternatively present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a substance having a measurable physical property providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

23. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a substantially invisible hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper;

said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a fluorescing substance which emits light in a certain spectral range when exposed to light of a different spectral range;

the fluorescense of said substance providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

24. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a substantially invisible hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper;

said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a photoconducting substance, having a measurable electrically conductive property when exposed to light of a certain spectral range;

said electrically conductive property providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

25. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising a single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a substantially invisible hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper, said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a substance which has an absorption spectrum in the UV-spectral range differing from that of said security paper;

the absorption spectrum of said substance providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying films, etc.

26. In a security paper such as a bank note, the combination comprising single-layer, sheet-like paper substrate;

a substantially invisible hallmark in the form of a coating for providing verification of the authenticity of the security paper;

said coating being disposed on an outer surface of said security paper in a discontinuous manner whereby coated and uncoated areas are alternately present on such surface;

the hallmark coating being formed of a substance having electrically conducting properties and providing conductivity values ranging between predetermined upper and lower limits for providing an identifying measurement for such substance;

said hallmark coating being applied to said substrate outer surface by cathode sputtering so as to provide a substance-identifying measurement indicative of said hallmark coating in the pure state free of any measurement-altering adulterant such as binders, overlying film, etc.