Giesecke & Devrient (G & D) has developed a new security feature called MAGnite that can verify banknote authenticity with phone.
You only need to place you mobile phones speaker over the banknote to make the feature visible to human eyes. A high-contrast change of the image appears on the banknote, allowing users to verify its authenticity instantly.
You can also generate the image using any magnet that is available near you such as those used in handbag clasps or those employed in electronic theft-prevention systems at store checkout counters.
How MAGnite works
MAGnite is based on the interaction between special color pigments and simple magnets
In order to ensure that an instantaneous switch between two color effects takes place reliably at any time, the pigments are enclosed and protected in highly durable microcapsules, which were developed by G&D.
The pigments in the capsule must have full freedom of movement so that they can be aligned in any desired direction when external magnetic forces act upon them to reveal their color in a certain pattern.
Different types of magnets produce different patterns or images. For instance, when a mobile phone is used, a rounded oval effect can be observed. By contrast, a streak effect is created when the banknote is verified using the magnets integrated in the electronic theft-protection systems found in retail stores.
Security features for banknotes fall into two categories. In addition to elements that the general public can easily verify, there is another group of security features that allow retailers, banks, and cash-in-transit companies to assess the authenticity of banknotes. The hidden features of the highest level of security are the exclusive domain of central banks and can be checked with special technology only.
Source: Giesecke & Devrient
