This week, the Superbowl winning New Orleans Saints issued a statement saying fake tickets for their home opener against the Minnesota Vikings were circulating “in the secondary market” – via the Internet and/or scalpers.

“These tickets will not be accepted at our games and those fans that purchase the counterfeit tickets will sadly be unable to gain admittance to the games,” said Michael Stanfield, vice president of ticket sales for the Saints.

A key to identifying fake tickets is to check for barcodes that not only lend authenticity to the ticket, but are also unable to be replicated. A fake ticket won’t be able to replicate these barcodes, says Stanfield.

Other manufacturers are stepping up the security features on their tickets in order to prevent counterfeiting.
Leading up to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi this August, organizers printed tickets that contained many of the same security properties as banknotes.

Printed on the same press that manufactures the R1000 banknote for India, and on the same security paper as the Indian currency, the tickets for the Commonwealth Games were embedded with both visible and invisible security features including holograms and barcodes – like the ones used on NFL tickets.

“The bar codes will be read with scanners,” said Monica Jolly, director of ticketing for the Commonwealth Games. “So, faking them will be next to impossible.”

Other anti-counterfeiting devices such as no-copy inks and thermo chronic inks can be applied to tickets as well to avoid the creation of fakes. One of the most popular security devices is a visible shiny varnish on the ticket that reflects light if it is copied, producing an inferior product. Another measure being used in the industry is holographic glitter embedded in a coating covering the ticket. UV printing is also a common device employed to thwart counterfeiters, as well as foil stamping, unique barcodes and embossed logos.

SOURCES:
National Football Post: “Saints Issue Counterfeit Ticket Warning”
Hindustan Times: “Printed On Currency Paper, Games Tickets Finally Launched”
Global Paper Security: “Taking Stock of Tickets”

Though no specific details have been provided, the company said last week that the paper used for making banknotes was not being printed on par with company standards.

“It is apparent that some paper production has failed to meet certain quality specifications,” a spokesperson said in an article written for the UK’s Sky News.

The company produces banknotes for 150 countries around the world but has not confirmed that any “inferior” banknotes have made their way into circulation.

The quality of paper can play a big role in ensuring the security of a banknote in order to prevent it from being counterfeited. Unlike writing paper, for example, banknote paper is produced from different types of pulp blends.
Thus, cotton based banknote paper has a unique feel different from other papers. This feel is considered to be a trigger, leading people to know whether or not the banknote is fake.

Banknote paper is also the first place producers go to include security features. Intaglio printing (raised printing) is embedded on the paper allowing consumers to instantly recognize whether a banknote is genuine by simply examining its tactile functions.

Details about how long the plant was producing inferior paper are not known. Other banknote producers around the world are not reporting any problems with the quality of their outputs.

In addition to banknotes, De La Rue also supplies security documents such as passports, authentication labels and fiscal stamps, but has not said there was a problem with these products.

SOURCES:
Sky News: “Printing Error May Undermine Banknotes”
This Is Money: “Banknote Production Suspended Due To Paper Flaws”
Polymernotes.org: “Mould-made cotton bank note paper and plastic substrate alternatives”

It’s not a connection you can make everyday, but some leading cancer research could also prove to be an important development for the security paper industry.

Quantum dots are a discovery of nanotechnology (much like the recent research on butterfly mimicry as a security device) and are showing how the most miniscule elements are leading the way in security devices.

The tiny dots are engineered individual crystals that emit intense light and they double as semiconductors. The conducting characteristics are closely related to the size and shape of the individual crystal meaning that the smaller the crystal, the more energy is needed to “excite” the dot. Because each the crystals aren’t uniform, each dot is unique and shines a variety of colours when “excited” by something like a UV light. This is one of the predominant benefits to the quantum dots because whereas fluorescent dyes and watermarks can only display a single band, quantum dots can display a whole range of colours providing each item with a unique “barcode.”

One of the amazing things about these nanoscale dots is that they were not solely developed as a security device. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed “water-soluble” quantum dots to aid in biological research. Bright, stable, and tiny, these quantum dots “are engineered to attach themselves to particular proteins [and thus] have become a popular research tool in areas such as cancer research for detecting, labeling and tracking specific biomarkers and cells.”

Outside of the medical research, some companies have already begun the process of developing inks and paints for security and anti-counterfeiting measures that can be applied to surfaces like paper, plastic or metal. However, according to Vicki Singer, senior consultant for corporate development at Life Technologies – a California-based company that makes quantum dots – whether or not banks are interested in this technology for banknotes or other security devices is a secretive affair. Whether or not anyone is actually using quantum dots on banknotes already is even more secret.

SOURCES:
Evident Tech: “Quantum Dot Applications”
John Mongillo: “Nanotechnology 101”
“Quantum Dots”
Lab Spaces: “Microwave Synthesis Connects With The Quantum Dots”
Canadian Business Magazine: “Counterfeit Cat-and-Mouse”

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research are developing new ways to use fluorescence as an enhanced security feature for banknotes

The security paper industry is no stranger to the use of fluorescence. Often used in banknotes, fluorescence provides a unique security device that can only be revealed under ultra violet (UV) lights.

On the Canadian $20 bill, for example, the words “Bank of Canada/Banque du Canada” glow red and yellow on the bill’s left side when placed under UV lights. Similarly, a security thread on the US $100 bill containing the text “USA 100” glows red under UV lights. Numbered panels printed in fluorescent ink on Indian rupees can also only
be detected under UV lights.

Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research, however, are finding new ways to use fluorescence in way that is not only new and revolutionary, but also more secure.

Instead of adding individual fluorescent devices on one specific part of the banknote, researchers at Fraunhofer are testing ways to add fluorescent dyes to the entire banknote.

To understand how this research may prove to be revolutionary, you first have to understand how fluorescence works.

Professor Julian Gray of the Georgia Mineral Society explains:

“Minerals are composed of atoms, which in turn contain electrons at specific energy levels. Ultraviolet light is an energy source. When we shine an ultraviolet lamp on a mineral that fluoresces, the atoms that make up the mineral absorb energy from the light by moving electrons to higher energy levels. However, the electrons cannot remain in this unstable, excited state. When the energized electrons return to the original lower energy level, they give back the difference in energy by emitting visible light. This is what causes the mineral to produce light. As long as the ultraviolet lamp energy source is on, electrons are continually jumping from lower to higher energy levels and back, in the process producing the wonderful fluorescent colors that we see. If the mineral only produces light when ultraviolet light is shining on the mineral, this is called fluorescence.”

When it comes to security devices, typically only one or two mineral dyes are used to create the feature. Since various dyes react to different properties, the researchers at Fraunhofer decided to add multiple dyes to the whole banknote producing “an individualized marker” that is “exceedingly difficult to imitate.”

Moreover, because the mixture of dyes is a not only unique (and presumably one that will be kept secret) but is also relatively minimal (just a few parts per billion), researchers assert that it will be “virtually impossible to decode the type and quantity of the dye additives thus making the product counterfeit proof.

Because the dye is added to the entirety of the banknote, counterfeiters cannot remove the feature. Whereas fluorescent spots can – in theory – be removed from a secure document, say researchers, this feature permeates the entire material and is “itself a component of the identification label.”

Beside counterfeit protection, the process is also suitable for an effective quality assurance, such as with coatings: With the aid of various dyes, manufacturers can monitor the chemical composition, degree of dryness and the thickness of the coat during the production process.

Dr. Andreas Holländer, one of the scientists at Fraunhofer, says if this fluorescent security device is adopted by the security paper industry, the key to its success will be the creation of dye mixtures specific to individual products so a standard solution for products across the board would be highly discouraged.

“One reason for the high degree of security of our technology is precisely because there are only material-specific solutions,” says Holländer.

SOURCES
Nanowerk: “Brilliant Counterfeit Protection”
Science Learning: “UV and Fluorescence”
Bank of Canada
Banknote.org: “USA Banknotes’ Security Features”
Reserve Bank of India: “Fluorescence”
Georgia Mineral Society: “Fluorescence by Julian C. Gray”

India will begin printing Rs500 & Rs1,000 banknotes on securitized "blue paper" in an effort to deter counterfeiting in the country.

After a significant “large-scale circulation of fake notes” throughout India over the past year, the Indian government has decided to begin printing Rs500 and Rs1,000 on special blue security paper to curtail counterfeiting in the region.

Blue paper is made by combining cotton and linen fibre with a special dye that only glows under ultraviolet rays. This dye also ensures the paper – which eventually in this case will be made into banknotes – also radiates a unique blue hue that makes it virtually impossible for colour photocopiers to reproduce.

The Indian government says the switch will not only deter counterfeiters, but will also pay off in the long run.
“The blue security paper has higher durability compared to normal currency notes. While it is costlier to produce, it is cheaper than having to deal with fake currency,” said a senior official.

Though it is an important component in the world of banknote security, blue paper is not a new idea. The first recorded mention of blue paper comes from Italy in the 14th century, where it was first used by artists as mounts for drawings. Over the centuries, blue paper sometimes became an alternative to white paper and was used in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries for books.

Around the same time, manufacturers of blue paper began dyeing the paper pulp instead of using disintegrated rags which resulted in the paper achieving more intense colours.

Today, blue paper has moved from the artistic realm to the security realm thanks to this dyeing process. Because the dye is applied to the entirety of the banknote and not just to select locations on the note, the paper itself becomes a security feature and is, as researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research have said about notes using fluorescent dyes, “itself a component of the identification label.”

Colour is an important security feature as well. Embedding additional colour designs to the blue paper is beneficial to paper producers who specialize in anti-counterfeit devices.

Printing of the Rs500 and Rs1,000 banknotes is scheduled to get underway by August and the new notes are expected to enter into circulation by December 2010.

SOURCES:
BNet: “Blue Paper To Be used For Rs500-1,000 Notes”
The American Institute for Conservation: “Historical Manufacture and Use of Blue Paper”
Nanowerk: “Brilliant Counterfeit Protection”
Polymernotes.org: “A Paradigm Shift In Bank Note Security; Security Features in Polymer Bank Notes”

The Pixel Watermark not only produces different shades, it also makes the images - like this angel's wing on a commemorative Mexican 200-peso not - appear 3D

This article is part of a continuing series that looks at security features in development for the security paper industry.

One of the most familiar – and recognizable – banknote security features is the watermark. First introduced in the 13th century in Italy, a watermark is an image or pattern on the security paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when held against the light.

A watermark can take many forms, but some of the more identifiable marks are usually found elsewhere on the bill. The Canadian $20 bill, for example, features a watermark which is a smaller version of the note’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, while the new American $100 bill’s watermark is a smaller portrait of Benjamin Franklin.

Despite the fact that watermarks are one of the most common security features for banknotes, and one of the most effective anti-counterfeit devices, some countries have taken watermark technology a step further to prevent currency forgery.

In 2009, the Bank of Mexico was the first to introduce the world to a new watermark called the Pixel Watermark. Consisting of patterns of dark dots of varying sizes on light backgrounds, the Pixel Watermark sets itself apart from regular watermarks in that the colouring of the pixels in the image creates an almost 3D effect.

Though the first bill to feature the Pixel Watermark was a commemorative 200-peso note, countries in Asia and Latin America have since adopted the security feature.

And the Pixel Watermark is picking up steam elsewhere. Recently, the security device won the award for the Best New Currency Feature at the 2010 Excellence in Currency Awards held in Buenos Aires. The watermark beat out other high-tech, new-to-the-industry security features like the Depth Image, a 3D hologram with strong colour switching and contrast.

SOURCES:
Currency News: “2010 Excellency in Currency Award Winners”
“Watermark”
Banknote News: “Pixel Watermark Debuts on Mexico 200-Peso Commemorative”
Bank of Canada: “Security Features”
Personal Money Store: “New 100 Dollar Bill Debuts To Help Fight Counterfeit Rings”
“Depth Image Hologram”

Taking a closer look at your tickets could tell you if they're fake.

Paper makers like Fortress Paper are most known in the security sector for their production of banknote paper, and rightfully so. At their mill in Landqart, Switzerland, Fortress Paper manufactures some of the world’s most high-tech and highly securitized banknotes for many countries including Switzerland.

Specializing in security features for banknotes, Fortress has become a leading international supplier of security and specialty papers. Banknotes, however, aren’t the only documents that require security devices.

The ticketing and live event industries are suffering similar setbacks as the banknote world. With colour copying technology being easier to access and easier to afford these days, ticket counterfeiting is on the rise. As a result, many event coordinators have turned to security paper makers like Fortress Paper for securitized tickets.

Called the “crime of the ‘90s” by the FBI, document fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes in the US and has taken a major toll on event tickets. Many anti-counterfeiting devices have been added to tickets in order to combat this crime spree.

From holograms to no-copy inks to thermo chromic inks, tickets are being produced with high-tech device that prevent colour copying.

One of the most popular security devices is a visible shiny varnish on the ticket that reflects light if it is copied, producing an inferior product. Another measure being used in the industry is holographic glitter embedded in a coating covering the ticket.

UV printing is also a common device employed to thwart counterfeiters, as well as foil stamping, unique barcodes and embossed logos.

Still, not everyone is jumping on the secure ticket bandwagon. This news piece from Cincinatti’s WLWT News 5 shows how easy it could be to counterfeit NFL tickets:

There are some easy ways to detect tickets you suspect may be fake. Many tickets have textured areas that feel different than other parts of the ticket and printers cannot reproduce this difference in texture. If the ticket feels like standard copy paper without any raised ink or textured differences, it may be a fake. Poorly printed tickets that smudge when you rub them is also a sure-fire indicator that your tickets aren’t the real deal.

SOURCES:
Helium.com: “Ticket Buying Advice: “Are Your Tickets Authentic?”
Allbusiness.com: “Counterfeit Tickets Growing Problem”
YouTube: “Don’t Get Caught With Counterfeit Tickets”