A banknote comprising a substrate and a plurality of print layers printed by the same print process type printed onto the substrate, wherein at least one of the print layers is an indicia layer and at least one of the print layers is a tactile layer. Also, a method of producing a plurality of banknotes including: providing a substrate, in the form of a web, to a print press including a plurality of print units of the same print process type, wherein the web will pass through each of the plurality of print units, and at least part of the web is printed in a print run; printing a print layer on to the substrate at each of the plurality of print units, wherein at least one of the print layers is an indicia layer and at least one of the print layers is a tactile layer.

A banknote comprising a substrate and a plurality of print layers printed by the same print process type printed onto the substrate, wherein at least one of the print layers is an indicia layer and at least one of the print layers is a tactile layer. Also, a method of producing a plurality of banknotes including: providing a substrate, in the form of a web, to a print press including a plurality of print units of the same print process type, wherein the web will pass through each of the plurality of print units, and at least part of the web is printed in a print run; printing a print layer on to the substrate at each of the plurality of print units, wherein at least one of the print layers is an indicia layer and at least one of the print layers is a tactile layer.

In part, the disclosure relates to articles of manufacture, such as banknote, that include one or more precious materials formed as unitary structure and that is secured within the article and disposed below one or more tamper resistant elements such that the article is self-authenticating. The articles may include polymer-based notes, instruments and other substantially planar articles defined by a boundary and an upper surface and a lower surface such that a precious material is at least in part co-planar with a third surface sandwiched therebetween. The disclosure also relates to a flexible precious metal storage apparatus that includes three layers, one layer defines a cavity. The cavity is sized and arranged to have a precious metal layer deposited, printed, injected, grown, or otherwise at least partially surrounded by the boundary of the geometric shape.

A security document including a metal layer comprising an arrangement of diffractive nanostructures arranged periodically in the metal layer to form a diffractive holographic structure forming an arrangement of pixels each comprising a plurality of sub-pixels of distinct colors, a lenticular array comprising convergent lenses positioned facing the metal layer, and a support layer on which the metal layer is disposed so that the metal layer is sandwiched between the lenticular array and the support layer. The metal layer includes perforations formed by focusing laser radiation through the lenticular array on the metal layer, the perforations including at least one group of perforations produced by focusing the laser radiation at a respective angle of incidence to reveal a corresponding personalized image when the security document is observed at this angle of incidence.

A security document including a metal layer comprising an arrangement of diffractive nanostructures arranged periodically in the metal layer to form a diffractive holographic structure forming an arrangement of pixels each comprising a plurality of sub-pixels of distinct colors, a lenticular array comprising convergent lenses positioned facing the metal layer, and a support layer on which the metal layer is disposed so that the metal layer is sandwiched between the lenticular array and the support layer. The metal layer includes perforations formed by focusing laser radiation through the lenticular array on the metal layer, the perforations including at least one group of perforations produced by focusing the laser radiation at a respective angle of incidence to reveal a corresponding personalized image when the security document is observed at this angle of incidence.

A method of illumating an item is disclosed. The method includes applying adhesive to the item, interspersing a taggant in the adhesive, illuminating the item with an excitation signal, sensing luminescence emitted by the taggant in response to illumination by the excitation signal, and determining the authenticity of the item based on the sensed emitted luminescence. The item can include any item benefited by authentication, and can include a postage stamp. A method of customizing an item is disclosed. This can include the steps of preparing a substrate, applying a security feature to the substrate, printing non-customized information on the substrate, receiving image information, and printing the image information on the substrate.

A method of illumating an item is disclosed. The method includes applying adhesive to the item, interspersing a taggant in the adhesive, illuminating the item with an excitation signal, sensing luminescence emitted by the taggant in response to illumination by the excitation signal, and determining the authenticity of the item based on the sensed emitted luminescence. The item can include any item benefited by authentication, and can include a postage stamp. A method of customizing an item is disclosed. This can include the steps of preparing a substrate, applying a security feature to the substrate, printing non-customized information on the substrate, receiving image information, and printing the image information on the substrate.

An anti-counterfeiting medium includes a recording medium, a polarizer layer arranged on a part of the recording medium. The polarizer layer is formed thereon with a low extinction-ratio area that forms an image portion where a polarizer exhibits an extinction ratio lower than in a portion other than the low extinction-ratio area of the polarizer layer. The recording medium is formed thereon with an image portion that is a part of the recording medium and has a nature different from that of a portion other than the part of the recording medium.

An anti-counterfeiting medium includes a recording medium, a polarizer layer arranged on a part of the recording medium. The polarizer layer is formed thereon with a low extinction-ratio area that forms an image portion where a polarizer exhibits an extinction ratio lower than in a portion other than the low extinction-ratio area of the polarizer layer. The recording medium is formed thereon with an image portion that is a part of the recording medium and has a nature different from that of a portion other than the part of the recording medium.

A security device is disclosed, comprising: a first ink (21) and a second ink (22) each arranged in respective laterally offset first and second regions of the security device, the first and second inks each comprising a respective luminescent material which both luminesce in response to irradiation at at least one excitation wavelength in the ultra-violet spectrum, the first and second inks each exhibiting substantially the same non-luminescent visible colour as one another when illuminated with visible light in the absence of the at least one excitation wavelength, and the first and second inks each exhibiting visible colours which are different from the non-luminescent visible colour and from one another when illuminated with a combination of visible light and the at least one excitation wavelength; a third ink (23) arranged in a third region of the device laterally offset from the first and second regions of the device, the third ink not luminescing in response to the at least one excitation wavelength, and the third ink exhibiting substantially the same non-luminescent visible colour as the first and second inks when illuminated with visible light in the absence of the at least one excitation wavelength; and a fourth ink (24) arranged in a masking pattern which partially overlaps one or more portions of the first ink in the first region and/or of the second ink in the second region, the fourth ink not luminescing in response to the at least one excitation wavelength, and the fourth ink exhibiting a different visible colour from the non-luminescent visible colour of the first, second and third inks when illuminated with visible light in the absence of the at least one excitation wavelength. When the security device is illuminated with visible light in the absence of the at least one excitation wavelength, the first, second and third regions together appear as one continuous pattern in the non-luminescent visible colour, the fourth ink obscuring the presence of more than one ink forming the continuous pattern, and when the security device is illuminated with a combination of visible light and the at least one excitation wavelength, the first and second regions become visibly distinct from each other and from the remainder of the continuous pattern.