Original or forgery? This was a question confronting one of the customers of the Diagramm Halbach security printing house in Schwerte more and more frequently. Until then, issued coupons had been secured by conventional methods and produced in a manufacturing process that had remained unchanged for years. Eventually, not only were forgeries appearing with increasing frequency, but also stolen originals.

The decentralized organizational structure makes it difficult for the security personnel to get the situation inder control. That was the reason for calling in the Schwerte-based secure ticket and coupon solution specialists. The challenge facing the experts was to find a cost-effective solution that not only prevents forgery, but also losses incurred by stolen or manipulated vouchers and coupons, for several hundred points of acceptance.

The solution devised by Diagramm Halbach's security experts took the form of a complete electronic authentication system in conjunction with logistic chain monitoring. Apart from this, the new vouchers have been given all-round protection, comprising a banknote-standard print layout, security inks, watermarked paper, fluorescent fibres and reagents that reveal any chemical manipulation attempts. These security measures make it impossible to copy or reproduce the documents.

Each voucher can be identified and verified electronically using a testing device or smart phone. A secure 2D barcode contains all of the pertinent voucher data, providing information concerning the entire supply chain. This concept enables the immediately electronic barring of stolen vouchers and offers a fast, effective means of avoiding consequential damages.

Matthias Oelenberg, head of ticket and security printing sales at Diagramm Halbach, has confidence in the developed security concept: "Secure printing and sophisticated coding elements have been combined to produce a solution that complies with our customer's requirements for a highly secure, as well as cost-effective, voucher product in the best possible way."