Glossary

Originally a monetary system in which the monetary unit of a country was exchangeable for gold. This evloved to be a fixed quantity of gold on which the issue of paper money was in proportion to the holdings.

A carefully constructed series of guidelines to determine the condition and therefore the rarity and value of a coin.

A type of intaglio printing process, which involves engraving an image onto a cylinder. Like offset printing and flexography, gravure uses a rotary printing press.

A printing technique that uses varying shades of gray to produce an image. Unlike full colour images created by combining different colours of ink, grayscale images are produced solely from black ink.

Value of banknotes issued by a central bank over a given period.

A printed security feature composed of geometric, complex patterns of interlaced or interwoven curved fine lines that are difficult to reproduce using digital print or photocopiers.

A variety of clear window, with one side of the banknote opacified.

The use of cash as a store of value. However, the term is sometimes used negatively in the context of concealment to avoid tax or related to other criminal activity. It is often used in the context of the war on cash.

The term ‘hologram’ is derived from two Greek words: ‘holos’ meaning whole or complete and ‘graphos’ meaning an image. The term therefore describes a recorded image which is complete, in that it shows, through the diffraction of light, the whole volumetric space of the image – with depth, colour and movement. This is in contrast to a conventional picture, painting or photograph which displays an object from a single viewpoint only.

A method of transferring a foil from a polyester carrier to paper or other substrate through the combination of heat and pressure. Hot foil stamping can be used to support holographic anda other optically variable images which can be transferred, using heat and pressure, onto another substrate such as paper or plastic. The layers containing the image are extremely thin, typically 5-6 microns. Therefore, they need to be supported on a thicker material such as 19-micron thick polyester. The action of stamping the foil with a heated die causes a ‘release’ layer between the image and polyester support to melt, while simultaneously softening an adhesive ‘size’ coating. These combined effects allow the image to leave the polyester support and adhere to its new location.

A ‘banknote’ designed and printed by banknote suppliers for promotional purposes, with the supplier’s name usually clearly stated on it. The note serves as a business card demonstrating the suppliers’ capabilities.

A substrate that is a mixture of natural fibres (cotton) and plastic material, without one predominating the other.

The production, distribution or sale of counterfeit, adulterated or diverted goods via illegal and unregulated channels. Also includes the evasion of taxes on legally produced goods.

A biochemical test measuring the presence or concentration of a molecule in an extracted substrate using an antibody or antigen.

The light that emanates from a defined light source, such as the sun or a lightbulb, and illuminates an object.

Signs, indications, tokens or distinguishing marks.

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum between 700nm and 1.0mm wavelength. IR light lies immediately beyond red visible light and is therefore invisible to the naked eye. IR light is used in detectors and special equipment to detect security features of banknotes and other documents.

Metal or metal alloy bar or piece resulting from the process of smelting.

A technique that projects tiny droplets of ink directly onto a substrate, which then penetrates the surface. As there is no printing plate, the technique is favoured for printing variable and personalised data.

A banknote that is stained with a special wash-resistant ink, triggered by an anti-theft mechanism located in a cash container or security case locked with a special seal and security key. See also Intelligent banknote neutralisation system.

An optical detection system capable of determining the presence of intaglio printing on a banknote.

A security printing process that is synonymous with banknote printing but also used on ID documents and some tax stamps. The area of the image to be printed is recessed into the surface of the printing plate via engraving or etching and the recessed areas filled with high-viscosity ink. The excess ink is wiped from the plates and heavy pressure is applied to transfer the ink to the paper. The resulting raised ink profile gives intaglio-printed documents their characteristic tactility.

An anti-theft mechanism located in a cash container or security case that is locked with a special seal and a security key. If the security case is stolen, any attempt to open it by force (or without using the correct key) will automatically trigger the mechanism and the banknotes will immediately become recognisable as stolen and should therefore be rejected at any financial institution.

The balancing off of bank funds held at a central bank at a given agreed moment at the end of a trading period. If Bank A’s customers have transferred more money to Bank B than Bank B’s customers have transferred to Bank A, then Bank A needs to transfer appropriate funds to even out the balance.

A fee paid between banks for the acceptance of card-based transactions. For instance, a merchant’s bank (acquiring bank) will pay an interchange fee to the cardholder’s bank (issuing bank) when the latter makes a transaction. This is also the case when a cardholder uses an ATM: the cardholder’s bank pays a fee to the ATM operator.

The result of the interaction between two superposing waves. Interference pigment flakes are used in colour-shifting inks, and interference foils with colour-shifting properties also exist.

A security thread containing an invisible code printed in magnetic ink, which can be used to authenticate and/or denominate banknotes in sorting machines.

An independent, non-governmental international organisation with a membership of 165 national standards bodies. Through its members, ISO brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant international standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.

A network of physical objects that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet.

Name of the International Criminal Police Organisation, dating back to 1923. Its activity extends to all crimes of common law and especially those related to drug and gold trafficking, counterfeiting of money and capturing criminals harbouring in a foreign country. Police forces from most countries in the world take part in this organisation.

The metal value of a coin or medal.

The ability of some materials to create rainbow effects when they reflect white light. Pearls, oil films on water and bubbles all show iridescence. The effect can be created with foils, ink, and laminates to create optically variable devices.

An ink containing (normally) tiny flakes of a shiny silicate mineral (mica) that interferes with incoming light to create a pearl effect on the finished document. Iridescent inks are sometimes used as low-grade security features. They are not the same as colour-shifting inks.

An ISO guidance standard for performance criteria for authentication solutions used to combat counterfeiting of material goods. This standard was revised under a new number: ISO 22383:2020.

An ISO compliance standard specifying requirements for a security printing management system for security printers. The certifying organisation behind 14298 is Intergraf.

An ISO standard for the specification and usage of visible digital seal (VDS) data format for authentication, verification and acquisition of data carried by a document or object.

An ISO guidance standard for the selection and performance evaluation of authentication solutions for material goods.

An ISO guidance standard for securing physical documents.

Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons (atomic number) but a different number of neutrons. 

A forensic marker technology that involves adding isotopic variants of one or more components of a formulation or packaging to allow the identification of genuine products.

The entity authorised to issue money of legal tender in a country. Generally, the expression is synonymous with a central bank or monetary authority. Also refers to government authorities issuing ID documents, tax stamps and other secure documents.

A fraudulent act where cybercriminals cash out automatic teller machines using extremely sophisticated malware. To pull off this illegal payday, criminals avoid using brute force to dispense cash.

An adjective whose roots in the Greek word ‘kinesis’ indicate motion. A holographic image which displays movement of form or colour is said to be kinetic. Often, such images are patterns rather than objects. The patterns can be made up of fine lines or graphic elements and appear to scintillate when moved.

The technique/process of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, using heat, pressure, welding or adhesives, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, appearance or other properties. A laminate for ID documents is a mostly clear layer of plastic placed over the information on the ID data page to prevent tampering. The laminate will most often contain visual anticounterfeit features for further protection.

An acronym of ‘light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation’, a device that produces coherent light by stimulated emission of radiation.

Using energy delivered by a laser, holes of different shapes and sizes can be perforated into a substrate to produce serial numbers and other data, such as in an ID document.

An electrostatic digital printing process that produces text and graphics by repeatedly passing a laser beam back and forth over a negatively charged cylinder called a ‘drum’, which defines a differentially charged image. Laser colour digital copiers use this printing technique. It is a technique used in counterfeiting banknotes and other security documents.

An image formed by parallel straight relief strokes perpendicular to background strokes. The image is almost invisible in incidental white light at a right angle. It is visualised as an achromatic image in sliding white light at an acute angle of observation due to the shadow cast by the relief strokes. The background and image are applied by means of intaglio and have the same colour and stroke density.

A latent image formed by multicolour relief strokes. A latent multicolour image is slightly visible in white light. It is visualised as a chromatic image under oblique light. Every chromatic element of the image changes colour when rotating the document around the vertical axe without changing the angle of observation. Background strokes are applied by offset and relief lines by intaglio.

A latent image that has been fragmented and encoded according to a special algorithm. The image is visualised via a lenticular decoding device.