GB1562248A - Security document and method for its production - Google Patents

Description

(54) SECURITY DOCUMENT AND METHOD FOR ITS PRODUCTION (71) We, E.M.I. LIMITED a British company of Blyth Road, Hayes, Middlesex, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a security document and to a method for its production. Secure documents include those documents which respresent a sum of money, such as a bank note; or identify the bearer, such as a passport; or operate a machine, such as a cash dispenser card.

Such a document may be in the form of a sheet, a card or a book and of paper or plastics or other material. A secure document which is related to the bearer and is intended to identify him, e.g. an identity card or passport, clearly must have some information that is personal to the bearer.

This information has to be applied to the secure document accurately and easily and be in a secure form to be resistant to fraudulent or inadvertent imitation or alteration.

Security materials have been proposed in which a body of magnetic material, such as a layer of gamma iron oxide (Fe2O3) is formed with a permanent pattern of a magnetic property. One technique for making such a layer is by the selective energisation of at least one magnetic head acting on a web bearing an unset dispersion of oxide to align the acicular oxide particles in the unset dispersion in two directions at right angles in respective parts of the layer to form the pattern (cf UKPS 1331604). By such techniques, which can be applied during a conventional magnetic tape manufacturing process, it is possible to produce a tape in which successively prepared sections of layer have different permanent patterns. For example if each one of a group of people is to have a personally distinct secure document, say a pass card, then each section could be permanently structured with respective individual information, However, such techniques, while effective where a large number of such sections of similar or different form are required at one time, do have limitations if, for example, only one or a few sections with a distinct or individual pattern are required at a time. Furthermore, care has to be taken to ensure that the right section is placed on the individual documents to correspond with written information etc., while corrections or changes are not easily dealt with. Our U.S. Patent Specification 3998160 discloses the use of printing ink loaded with alignable magnetisable particles. The ink is applied with a printing arrangement on which the ink can be exposed to a magnetic field to align the particles in a desired pattern which is maintained when the ink dries after printing on a carrier.

According to the invention there is provided a secure document comprising à support and secured thereon a layer of anisotropic magnetisable material having fixed therein a detectable pattern of the anisotropic property of the material, as hereinafter defined, said layer having a form which respresents information both in a magnetically detectable and on eye visible manner.

The form may be alpha numeric characters or other eye readable graphic forms. The forms may be defined by the layer which may comprise a plurality of separate parts having the shapes of characters or by apertures in the layer through which the support is eye visible in a form which represents information.

The anisotropic magnetisable material may be gamma iron oxide, (Fe2O3) or other ferro-magnetic material.

By a detectable pattern of the anisotropic property of the magnetisable material we mean that the material is fixed in said layer in such a way that a characteristic pattern of magnetic properties of the material is detectable on examination of said layer. For example, the layer may be comprised of distinct areas, in at least some of which the easy axis of magnetisation of the magnetic particles are substantially aligned. The direction of alignment may differ between one such area and another. Alternatively, the areas may be combined of anistropic magnetisable material of different coercivities. These areas may be extensive with the eye visible parts of said layer, but since this is in practice difficult to achieve, this will not normally be the case.

According to the invention there is also provided a method for the production of the above security document which comprises applying to a selectively releasable coating on a carrier of an anisotropic magnetic material having fixed therein a detectable pattern of the anisotropic property of the material one or more data recording elements to effect the transfer of that part or parts of said coating corresponding in form to said element or elements from said carrier to a support on which said part or parts then form said layer on said above security document.

In order to provide that type of the above security document wherein the information is represented by apertures in said layer, there is first applied to a selectively releasable coating on a carrier of an anisotropic magnetic material having fixed therein a detectable pattern of an anisotropic property of the material, as hereinbefore defined, one or more data recording elements to effect release and removal from said carrier of that part or parts of said coating corresponding in form to said element or elements to give a residual coating on said carrier defining apertures corresponding to said part or parts and subsequently transferring said residual coating to a support.

Both the released part or parts of said coating and the residual coating may be applied to respective supports; one supported form may be issued to a user as a secure document and the other matching supported form retained for checking purposes, the matching form also including the security feature.

The data recording element may have an arbitrary shape e.g. a bar, to produce a similarly shaped region of security material on the support.

The coating of magnetisable material on said carrier may comprise magnetically anisotropic particles in a set binder on a carrier the easy axis of magnetisation of the particles being aligned in selected areas of the layer in a distinct selected direction, the selected direction forming a remanence variation pattern which is the security feature.

The elemental shape may be released by heat. The heat may be provided by the data recording element. The data recording element may bond the material form by the hot blocking techiniques.

The data recording element may have a distinct shape from a set of such shapes, e.g.

the alpha-numeric shapes, or other graphic forms and the distinctly shaped magnetised regions may be distinctly detectable by reading apparatus from their distinct shape or from apertures of distinct shapes.

The data recording element may also make a magnetic recording in conventional form in or adiacent the released element.

The secure document may be in the form of a passport or identity card in which said layer defines a plurality of apertures the form of which represents information in eye visible form. This form may be alphanumeric or other graphic form, and may be read in conjunction with further eye visible information record, the name and other details of the individual entitled to the passport or card.

The information pattern may identify the source of the magnetisable material layer e.g. forming at least one of a serial number, a maker's mark, an issuing agency identification and a clock pulse record.

The secure document may include in association a magnetic record material and a visual record material, which association ensures corresponding appropriate records in both materials.

The invention also provides a recording apparatus for the production of the above secure document by the above method which apparatus comprises means to transport a support and a carrier bearing a coating of an anisotropic magnetic material having fixed therein a detectable pattern of the anisotropic property of the material, as hereinbefore defined through the apparatus to a recording location, means to apply a data recording element of a distinct shape to said coating at said location, means to heat the coating in the region of said shape and release, transfer and attach material from the coating to the support in said shape and means to transport the support and attached material shape from said location.

The apparatus may include a character printer with dies or print elements of various shapes and heatable to heat the source.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification 51628/76 in which Figure 1 shows a portion of a secure document recording medium, Figure 2 shows a recording apparatus Figure 3 shows a recording in progress Figures 4 and 6 show recorded recording media in operative secure document arrangements Figure 5 shows a reading apparatus, and with reference to the drawings accompanying Provisional Specification 17499/77 in which Figure 1 shows in schematic form a process for making a secure document and Figure 2 shows secure document and associated check document.

Figure 1 shows a portion 1 of a recording medium in the form of a length of tape. The tape has a flexible substrate 10 or polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl acetate or other plastics material suitable to withstand brief exposure to a high temperature which may be as much as 1300C. A layer 11 is of a dispersion of magnetisable material particles, e.g. a magnetic oxide, in a binder such as is well known in the tape manufacturing art. The binder is formulated so that the layer 11 is released from the substrate on the application of appropriate heat and if required, pressure. Alternatively a suitable interlayer, shown dotted at 12, may be used which forms a bond released on heating. Such an interlayer is known in the art. A polyester resin is one suitable material to aid release. Specific examples of such a medium are as follows: Example I-A plastics film of polyethylene-terapthalate, e.g. the proprietory material MYLAR (R.T.M.) some 15-50 micrometres thick is coated with a layer of a dispersion of chromium dioxide particles in a suitable binder, for example an acrylic thermosetting binder, to a final thickness of some 14 micro metres.

The coated film is prepared using conventional techniques, e.g. a trough coater, and dried and slit to form rolls of tape some 10--15 mm wide.

Example 11-A film of a polyimide plastics material some 40 micrometres thick is coated with layer of a dispersion of fine particles of barium ferrite in a high temperature binder to a finished thickness of some 10 micrometres.

The ferrite has a coercivity of some 4000/Oe at room temperature, c15 C.

The film is coated and made into tape as described in Example I.

Such prepared tapes are suitable for hot stamping or laminating on to a card material, such as a copolymer of polyvinyl chloride and polyvinylacetate, provided the temperature of 100"C for Example I and 200"C for Example II are not exceeded.

Clearly other forms of medium may be constructed. The medium may be in or on formats other than tape, and may be suitable for transfer of the magnetic material to sheets or paper of cardboard or other materials.

In particular the magnetic material can be acted on when mobile to form a permanent magnetic structure, e.g. a pattern of particle alignment as described in UK-PS 1331604, or various magnetic materials of different properties can be combined, e.g. as UK-PS 1263991. to form the security material.

The recording of information on a medium according to the invention will now be described. One convenient form of recording apparatus includes what is basically a typewriter or other impact character printer in which a type die or print head is heatable to say 1500C or 350"C. An apparatus is described in UK PS 973,200 (US PS 3161457) in which selected elements of a matrix can be heated to mark appropriately a thermally sensitive material. However this apparatus merely touches the strip of material as it passes and does not strike against it or cause any part to be released.

The invention provides that at the printing location of such an apparatus or other suitable apparatus heat can be generated to cause the release of a portion of the medium of a desired shape and pressure applied for attachment to a support. Preferably the material remaining around the released portions is attached to a separate support.

In operation to record data by placing portions of magnetic material on a support the support and medium are brought to the recording location by suitable, wellknown, transport means, at which location an appropriate character is applied to heat the medium in the shape of the character to bring about the release of a charactershaped portion of material from the medium and press it on to the support to be retained there. The character form may be of solid or outline form.

One form of recording apparatus is shown at Figure 2, and in part detail in Figure 3. A type basket TB equipped with alphanumeric or other suitable type faces is positioned so that individual type elements can be operated to strike a piece of medium RM in tape form against a piece of support material SM held on platen PL by suitable means such as a bail PB. The tape is moved from reel Rl to reel R2 and in a preferred form the take-up reel R2 is driven by a stepping motor MS via toothed belt B in synchronism with the type-bars, moved by suitable means, to provide fresh medium for each character. Suitably the type-bars are operated by electrical signals supplied to a synchronising circuit SYN which directs the electrical signals to operate the respective type-bar and move the medium and platen.

The electrical signals may be five or more level code signals or known form supplied, e.g. from a punched tape reader, over the input connection INPUT. Clearly a handstruck type basket can be used with suitable transport means. The platen PL is also driven by suitable means, e.g. toothed belts PD and pulleys PY to move the piece of support material SM to space the characters. The type faces to strike the recording medium are heated, e.g. by infrared radiators IRH placed around the type basket. Suitable power sources SI, S2, S3 are also provided. In operation a selected type bar is operated to strike a heated type character shape against the medium on the support material SM to heat the medium in the shape of the character to release the shaped portion of magnetic material and press it onto the support material to adhere thereto as a magnetisable body 41 in the character shape. The medium is then stepped on for the next character. Figure 3 also shows the recorded medium bearing visible characters which also form corresponding magnetisable shapes. Thetype bar TBN carrying the heated die for the next letter. "n", is about to strike the tape RM against the support SM on the platen PL.

Clearly other methods of heating the medium in the shape of the data to be recorded are possible. For example radio frequency heating using the shape of the type of element to determine the heated area is possible. The form of the data can be chosen as desired an in addition to characters arbitrary shapes and binary data bars can be used, for example the ASCII code format. Also the medium RM may be coated with material in a fine dot pattern to ensure clean edge release of any character form chosen.

Figure 4 shows an identity or like card 4 on which the material 41 is released as shown in Figure 3, has been secured, as indicated by the exaggerated projection of the material from the surface, on a support 40. The recorded indicia 41, JOHN DOE, is repeated on the card at 42 in conventional printing. Figure 6 shows a similar card with a code format indicated at 61.

The authenticity of the card is indicated visually in one way by the correspondence of the magnetisable character and the conventionally printed information.

In one preferred form the recording is in the form of alphanumeric characters formed by elements of a dot matrix, e.g. a 7x5 element matrix. Such a matrix provides visible readily legible characters and also a magnetic pattern readily detectable by a magnetic reading head.

Figure 5 shows an apparatus to read the visible and magnetic forms.

A card transport means 50 of any suitable form, e.g. a channel 51 with one or more powered card drive rollers 52 and a cover plate 53 to keep cards down on the bottom of the channel, is provided and supported in suitable manner, as is well-known in the art.

A card, such as card 40 of Figure 4, is inserted face down along the direction of arrow 54 and transported up to and past an optical reading station 55 and a magnetic reading station 56. Each station contains respective sensors of suitable form to read the visible and magnetic recording on adjacent record 41 of card 40. When the 7x5 format is used five sensors at each station can be used to detect the condition of the five elements in one column at a time during transport of the record 41 on card 4 past them. (Clearly a source of illumination. not shown, may be required for the optical sensors). The electrical signals from the sensors are supplied to a comparator and display means 57 which displays the magnetically recorded information at 58 and at 59 indicates agreement (a tick) or lack of agreement (a cross) of the visible and magnetic record. The card is ejected after reading.

Suitable electronic circuits for reception, storage and comparison of the signals from the sensors and the display of the result are wellknown and will not be described further.

The record medium described above and shown in Figure 1 has a layer 11 of magnetic material the whole of which is usable for the recording of information. If desired the medium may have a layer in two or more side-by-side longitudinal parts, each of different magnetic form. The parts would be selectively used for recording information in the manner of a two-colour typewriter ribbon, but preferably the differences would not be apparent to the unaided eye. For example one part would have anisotropic particles aligned lengthwise of the medium and another part such particles aligned crosswise of the medium. The different alignments would be detectable by a suitable reading apparatus as an authenticity check. In a similar manner a medium of a layer of a magnetisable material having thoughout a pattern of a magnetic property of the material. as described in UK PS 1331604, could be used as a source of the characters and the characters checked for the presence of the pattern.

Other magnetisable materials formulated for easy clean release in a desired shape may be used, e.g. gamma iron oxide or cobalt doped iron oxide as well as thin metal films.

The release of shapes from a source of material having a magnetic pattern permits checking against the retained source, which is not possible with a printed pattern as described in US PS 3998160.

Figure 1 shows the manufacture of a secure document and an associated checking document.

A roll 1 of a plastics web 11 coated with a layer 14 of an anisotropic magnetisable material, e.g. acicular gamma iron oxide, having a permanent structural pattern of a magnetic property, e.g. remanence, is prepared in a suitable manner, e.g. as described in UK PS 1331604. The pattern represents information, e.g. origin of the coated web, and provides a clock pulse source. Typically the pattern is a bar code (e.g. of the F/2F code form) across the width of the coated web. The web 11 from roll 1 its passed through stations 2 and 4 to a take up point 15 with the layer 14 on the underside.

On the way alpha-numeric forms are transferred from the layer to a support, 31, and the remaining material 12, of the layer transferred to a carrier 5 to form a secure document carrying information. In detail, at station 2, type 21 representing the information to be provided on the finished document e.g. "JOHN DOE" is secured to a heatable mounting plate 22 which cooperates with a platen 23. A support, such as a plastics card of a PVA/PVC copolymer, from a stack 3 is placed on platen 23 and the heated type pressed down onto web 11 to cause material of layer 14 to transfer to the support on the platen in the form of the type. A support 31, when removed from the platen, will then carry the words "JOHN DOE" in the material of the layer against the support as a background. This forms a checking document.

The web 11 bearing the remaining material 12 is transferred to station 4 where a further heatable plate 42, with a flat surface 41, is provided to cooperate with a platen 43. Carriers for the document, e.g.

cards of PVC/PVA plastics copolymer, from stack 5 are placed in turn on platen 43 and the portion of layer 14, such as 12, applied to an individual carrier by hot blocking in known manner. The carrier plus material, 51, will then show the information, JOHN DOE, as the surface of the carrier showing through apertures in the layer of material having the security feature, e.g. the pattern of bar code bars. The magnetisable material thus has the appearance of a stencil.

The web 11 with residual material 13 is taken up at 15. If required a further station, not shown, can be used to laminate a photograph, 52 and a clear cover layer 53, over carrier and information 51, producing a complete document 54, shown also in Figure 2.

In an arrangement for small scale production, say one or two cards at a time, the stations 2 and 4 would be hand operated and electrically heated under control of timer 25. The type 21 would be hand assembled into ajig (not shown). Pressure of some 30 Ibs for a few (2-3) seconds is required for material transfer. For large scale production an automatic arrangement using e.g. punched-tape controlled heated type and mechanised preparation and assembly of the document parts, would be used. Techniques as described above are suitable.

In use of the document the information can be read by suitable optical and/or magnetic head while the presence of the pattern can be checked for by magnetising the layer of material and searching for remanence variations. The pattern is also read if required as a further check on authenticity. Examining apparatus as described for Figure 5 with any appropriate modifications is suitable.

In one application the secure document is a passport and the carrier a plastics card some 5"x4" (lOx 12 cm). Figure 2 shows such a passport and stages in its making.

The material initially released, shown at 81, is on a plastics support 82 and forms a check record document, which can be filed away if required at the issuing office. The tape 83, with parts removed, is attached to passport card 84 at 85. A photograph, 86.

printed details, 87 and a signature 88. are also applied and the whole over-laminated with clear plastics film. When presented the passport card is magnetised and examined for the security feature.

Full examination by comparison with the check record document is also possible.

In addition to the pattern the layer could carry more details, e.g. tracks of permanently recorded information and even a visibly textured background. The carrier could be printed with a suitable colour to enhance the contrast of the carrier visible through the layer.

The techniques described above are supable for large or small scale production of secure documents, without requiring great skill from operators while security is preserved by controlling the supply and use of the magnetically coated material. The documents produced have the further advantage that the securely recorded information can be eye-visible. If the documents are altered, even using suitably colotired material, it is not possible to match the remanence pattern or other security feature thus fraud is relatively easily detected. The techniques described provide security documents and methods for their production which are resistant to fraudulent alteration and in which the individual information can have a wide range of content and is easily applied. If required the security device, such as the card, can be encapsulated to protect it. The security material may be applied over part of the photograph as a guard against a different photograph being applied.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A secure document comprising a support and secured thereon a layer of an isotropic magnetisable material having

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (18)

1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

   prepared in a suitable manner, e.g. as described in UK PS 1331604. The pattern represents information, e.g. origin of the coated web, and provides a clock pulse source. Typically the pattern is a bar code (e.g. of the F/2F code form) across the width of the coated web. The web 11 from roll 1 its passed through stations 2 and 4 to a take up point 15 with the layer 14 on the underside.

   On the way alpha-numeric forms are transferred from the layer to a support, 31, and the remaining material 12, of the layer transferred to a carrier 5 to form a secure document carrying information. In detail, at station 2, type 21 representing the information to be provided on the finished document e.g. "JOHN DOE" is secured to a heatable mounting plate 22 which cooperates with a platen 23. A support, such as a plastics card of a PVA/PVC copolymer, from a stack 3 is placed on platen 23 and the heated type pressed down onto web 11 to cause material of layer 14 to transfer to the support on the platen in the form of the type. A support 31, when removed from the platen, will then carry the words "JOHN DOE" in the material of the layer against the support as a background. This forms a checking document.

   The web 11 bearing the remaining material 12 is transferred to station 4 where a further heatable plate 42, with a flat surface 41, is provided to cooperate with a platen 43. Carriers for the document, e.g.

   cards of PVC/PVA plastics copolymer, from stack 5 are placed in turn on platen 43 and the portion of layer 14, such as 12, applied to an individual carrier by hot blocking in known manner. The carrier plus material, 51, will then show the information, JOHN DOE, as the surface of the carrier showing through apertures in the layer of material having the security feature, e.g. the pattern of bar code bars. The magnetisable material thus has the appearance of a stencil.

   The web 11 with residual material 13 is taken up at 15. If required a further station, not shown, can be used to laminate a photograph, 52 and a clear cover layer 53, over carrier and information 51, producing a complete document 54, shown also in Figure 2.

   In an arrangement for small scale production, say one or two cards at a time, the stations 2 and 4 would be hand operated and electrically heated under control of timer 25. The type 21 would be hand assembled into ajig (not shown). Pressure of some 30 Ibs for a few (2-3) seconds is required for material transfer. For large scale production an automatic arrangement using e.g. punched-tape controlled heated type and mechanised preparation and assembly of the document parts, would be used. Techniques as described above are suitable.

   In use of the document the information can be read by suitable optical and/or magnetic head while the presence of the pattern can be checked for by magnetising the layer of material and searching for remanence variations. The pattern is also read if required as a further check on authenticity. Examining apparatus as described for Figure 5 with any appropriate modifications is suitable.

   In one application the secure document is a passport and the carrier a plastics card some 5"x4" (lOx 12 cm). Figure 2 shows such a passport and stages in its making.

   The material initially released, shown at 81, is on a plastics support 82 and forms a check record document, which can be filed away if required at the issuing office. The tape 83, with parts removed, is attached to passport card 84 at 85. A photograph, 86.

   printed details, 87 and a signature 88. are also applied and the whole over-laminated with clear plastics film. When presented the passport card is magnetised and examined for the security feature.

   Full examination by comparison with the check record document is also possible.

   In addition to the pattern the layer could carry more details, e.g. tracks of permanently recorded information and even a visibly textured background. The carrier could be printed with a suitable colour to enhance the contrast of the carrier visible through the layer.

   The techniques described above are supable for large or small scale production of secure documents, without requiring great skill from operators while security is preserved by controlling the supply and use of the magnetically coated material. The documents produced have the further advantage that the securely recorded information can be eye-visible. If the documents are altered, even using suitably colotired material, it is not possible to match the remanence pattern or other security feature thus fraud is relatively easily detected. The techniques described provide security documents and methods for their production which are resistant to fraudulent alteration and in which the individual information can have a wide range of content and is easily applied. If required the security device, such as the card, can be encapsulated to protect it. The security material may be applied over part of the photograph as a guard against a different photograph being applied.

   WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A secure document comprising a support and secured thereon a layer of an isotropic magnetisable material having

   fixed therein a detectable pattern of the an isotropic property of the material, as hereinbefore defined, said layer having a form which represents information both in a magnetically detectable and an eye visible manner.
2. 2. A secure document according to Claim 1 in which said layer represents information in an eye visible manner by having a distinct shape.
3. 3. A secure document according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which said layer comprises a plurality of separate parts.
4. 4. A secure document according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which said layer defines at least one aperture in the layer through which the support is eye visible in the form of a distinct shape.
5. 5. A secure document according to any one of the preceding claims which includes a further eye visible information record.
6. 6. A secure document according to Claim 4 and Claim 5 wherever in the form of a passport or identity card in which said layer defines a plurality of apertures the form of which represent information in eye visible form.
7. 7. A secure document according to Claim 6 which includes a photograph, which photograph is partly overlaid by said layer of anisotropic magnetisable material.
8. 8. A set of secure documents comprising a secure document according to any one of the preceding Claims and a checking document carrying a complementary layer of anisotropic material derived from the same source of material as was the layer of said secure document so that said layer and said complementary layer have a common security feature.
9. 9. A method for the production of a secure document according to Claim 1 which comprises applying to a selectively releasable coating on a carrier of an anisotropic magnetic material having fixed therein a detectable pattern of the anisotropic property of the material, as hereinbefore defined, one or more data recording elements to effect the transfer of that part or parts of said coating corresponding in form to said element or elements from said carrier to a support, on which said part or parts then form said layer of Claim 1.
10. 10. A method for the production of a secure document according to Claim 4 in which there is first applied to a selectively releasable coating on a carrier of an anisotropic magnetic material having fixed therein a detectable pattern of the anisotropic property of the material, as hereinbefore defined, one or more data recording elements to effect release and removal from said carrier of that part or parts of said coating corresponding in form to said element or elements to give a residual coating on said carrier defining apertures corresponding to said part or parts and subsequently transferring said residual coating to a support.
11. 11. A method according to Claim 9 or Claim 10 including applying heat with the application of said data recording element or elements to release said coating from said carrier.
12. 12. A method according to Claim 11 including applying heat from said data recording element or elements.
13. 13. A method according to any one of Claim 9 to 12 including making a magnetic recording with the data recording element or elements when releasing said coating from said carrier.
14. 14. A method according to any one of Claims 9 to 13 wherein said coating of anisotropic magnetisable material comprises magnetically anistropic particles in a set binder, the easy axis of magnetisation of the particles being aligned in selected areas of the layer in a distinct selected direction, the selected directions forming a remanence variation pattern.
15. 15. A method to any one of Claims 9 to 14 including providing a plurality of data recording element forms representing a group of distinct shapes the group including alpha-numeric shapes.
16. 16. An apparatus for the production of a secure document according to Claim 1 by a method according the Claim 9 which apparatus comprises means to transport a support and a carrier bearing a coating of an anisotropic magnetic material having fixed therein a detectable pattern of the anisotropic property of the material, as hereinbefore defined, through the apparatus to a recording location, means to apply a data recording element of a distinct shape to said coating at said location, means to heat the coating in the region of said shape and release, transfer and attach material from the coating to the support in said shape and means to transport the support and attached material shape from said location.
17. 17. A secure document according to Claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings accompanying Provisional Specifications 51628/76 and 17499/77.
18. 18. A method of making a secure document according to Claim 9 and substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings accompanying Provisional Specifications 51628/76 and 17499/77.