Wallet
Not only holes
Application of laser microperforation makes counterfeiting rubles unprofitable business
After the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the Association Goznak had demonstrated exterior of modified Russian banknotes, the press burst into comments about "holy" Russian ruble.
Laser microperforation is one of the security features, used on the banknotes of 100,500 and 1000-ruble, and it caused the most interest.
This protective feature produced the main question: " Well, holes…Why are they impossible to be counterfeited?" But Swiss francs, till recently the only banknotes with laser microperforation used, are thought to be the most protective in the world reasonably. Russian microperforation doesn"t differ from Swiss one from technical point of view, because it is made on the same equipment.
But in fact- how safe is this protective feature? Looking for comments "Watermark" addressed the chief of the department of engineering new products of the Association Goznak Alexander Mochalov.
- Why is microperforation impossible to be counterfeited?
— Firstly, they are round microholes, having size of 100 microns in diameter. To make very carefully holes of such size and geometry is rather difficult.
Surely, if to try, it is possible to copy everything, laser technology is enough available now. But one copy is unreasonable economically because of big cost and complexity of preparing this equipment. But mass industrial counterfeiting requires time and significant funds. So there is time advantage towards a potential counterfeiter.
— What criterions do you use, speaking about industrial counterfeiting?
— The only counterfeit is microcirculation, one or several banknotes. Industrial counterfeiting means circulation of tens thousand and million items.
Economically reasonable is qualitative counterfeiting perforation with just high circulation. I can mark that there have never been serious counterfeits, completely imitating all our protective features. Due to the information of our colleagues (experts-criminal lawyers from Ministry of Internal Affairs and Federal service of Security)more-less serious counterfeits haven"t gone through them last time.
— Is it possible to copy microperforation in "domestic" circumstances and how to differentiate an individual counterfeit from an original banknote?
— In fact, for imitation of holes laser is not necessary to be used. Possible to do something similar, using ordinary sewing needle. But to recognize this counterfeit is not difficult: because they will be not holes on the paper but cutting the paper through, so from the back side there will be unevenness, easy to understand to the touch.
In the case with an original banknote on the place of perforation the paper is absolutely equable, because the holes are not pressed into mechanically, but burnt. More complex method is breaking through, which demands special equipment and tools.
— Why is industrial counterfeiting complicated with existing laser technology?
— Many people can burn holes by laser. Also it is possible to find an equipment, able to burn accurate holes. But you can do it on one, ten, one hundred, one thousand copies. More quantity requires automation of not only the process of laser perforation, but in fact the whole complex of banknote printing. But this complex is practically impossible to be developed within the country.
For understanding the level of complexity of microperforation equipment, imagine that about 200 holes on 35 banknotes, placed on the sheet are burnt per half a second. Such unique equipment is operating in Goznak.
At first the image, we"ll see further while lighting up, is created in specialized program and transferred to the machine, where later laser device "burns" it. Only Swiss and Russian specialists have this kind of equipment nowadays. In Switzerland laser microperforation is being used for many years.
— A ruble is not the most expensive currency in the world and suddenly we have become the second after Switzerland, protecting a ruble in a very valuable way. Why and what for?
— Protection of national currency is included into the sphere of state security. Russian ruble traditionally has been and remains high protected.
— For how many years will the present modification of banknotes for effective protection work?
— While having the existing level of protection of industrial counterfeiting our banknotes we shouldn"t have any fears. First of all, as I"ve said before, because of lack of economic profitability.
But an average period of banknote modification is 5-7 years.
— One of the last great affair of counterfeiters consisted of selling false banknotes through the system of gambling machines. It is not a secret that by gambling machines huge funds are passing through. Do reading devices of the gambling machines control the banknote authentication features? Will they accept modified banknotes as original ones?
— As far as I know, in reading devices of the gambling machines the image of a banknote and the most common features are "sewed" partially or completely. They may be sectors, having inks with magnetic abilities; inks, lighting under influence of ultraviolet or infrared radiation, which are read by proper meters and compared with existing patterns. A modified banknote is likely not to be read without proper adjustment of operating block, because the image won"t match- while making modification there were some changes of design made.
I"m sure that special machine-readable authentication features are not checked up by the machines: Goznak together with the Central Bank is spreading proper equipment just due to the agreement with banks for application in the banknote machines or being formed a part of the equipment, produced by Goznak
I don"t remember anybody from the representatives of gambling business to have applied to specialists of Goznak for receiving devices, letting them protect from counterfeiting. It means, for gambling business the problem hasn"t become enough sharp. As soon as it appears, effective ways of solving it are sure to be found.
— What do you think why laser microperforation hasn"t found wide usage in the protective complexes of the most world currency yet?
— Every country defines the complex of the protective features, most effective for its national currency, coming from analysis of threats of counterfeiting and costing monetary signs. Equipment for laser microperforation is very expensive, it is paid off just with very big printing, so for many countries this sign is economically unprofitable.
Of course, there is a notion of fashion in our business also. True, it is not even fashion but matching high technologies. The motto is to be a step ahead a counterfeiter. To the regret, since development of computer, general industrial technologies, since appearance of new materials the process of preparing counterfeiter production has sped, its level has increased. First of all easy recognized visual features are counterfeited. So, in the beginning very wide spread, colour shifting ink OVI was imitated by rather primitive ways, but nowadays there are counterfeits of special kind with usage of the ink, not differing from original visually. Moreover, remember high qualitative copies of American dollars, so-called superdollars, able to be recognized only by experts.
— Is there a perspective for Goznak to apply laser equipment for executing external orders?
— If a customer wishes to have the given protective feature on his production and is ready to pay for , yes, there is.
— Not a secret that currency of different countries is prepared from different materials- wood pulp, cotton, composition with flax. Is any currency possible to be microperforated greatly by laser equipment, received by Goznak?
— Yes, the paper with two-sided intaglio, with thin layer (pressed foil) is perforated perfectly. And, besides, any equipment of this level may be changed for certain circumstances, certain material. Surely, the thicker the material and the more complicated its composition are, the less the machine productivity is.
Yelena Kiseleva
