A banknote carries three locks — a public layer for the eye, a covert ink layer (MG/UV/IR), and an issuer-only layer. Single-check readers miss the latter two. Layered multispectral verification (MG+UV+IR+CIS) in one pass catches the vast majority of fakes and logs serials for audit. Use it at branches, retail lanes and cash centers.
Updated August 2026.
This tier is built for anyone, no tool required:
· Colour-shift numbers — tilt the note and the denomination rolls between two colours with a bright band.
· Windowed security thread — see-through reveals the currency symbol and value; it shifts red–green on tilt.
· Watermark & hidden number — visible against light on the blank side.
· Intaglio feel — engraved print leaves a raised ridge under the thumb.
· See-through register — front and back partial marks align into one complete image.
Swedish krona uses a moving window thread; polymer pounds use a transparent window with hologram. Same idea, local styling.
The real fence sits inside the print:
· MG: confirms the MG ink that only genuine notes carry; a fake note on plain stock fails this step at once.
· UV: hidden fibres glow only under UV, invisible in normal light.
· IR: reads covert absorption/transmission zones a phone cannot capture.
· CIS (image): scans the full face and compares it to the genuine template pixel by pixel, flagging replicas that carry disclaimer text.
Issuers stack locks on purpose. Research shows UV+MG+IR together stop most circulating fakes; adding CIS full-face comparison drives false-acceptance toward zero. A marker pen (starch test) or a handheld UV lamp — weak under bright retail light — opens just one door and breeds false confidence.
New denominations keep arriving (e.g. the 2019 RMB security-thread change; the 2026 USD IR-map revision). Old firmware misreads new notes and may pass sophisticated fakes. Ask suppliers for free updates at each release — treat it like counting speed.
CIS scanning records each serial, building an audit trail. If a fake later surfaces at the bank, you trace when and which device took it — supporting recovery, compliance and investigation.
| Layer | Typical feature | Read by | Main gap |
| Public (eye) | colour-shift, thread, watermark, intaglio | cashier / public | sophisticated fakes mimic visuals |
| Covert ink (MG/UV/IR) | MG ink, UV fibre, IR zone | verification devices | one spectrum can be targeted |
| Full-face (CIS) | entire pattern, serial, disclaimer | imager + template | needs fresh templates, clean path |
| Issuer-only | classified IR map | IR imaging only | outside data unavailable to forgers |
1. Confirm spectrum coverage — MG, UV, IR and CIS together, not UV alone.
2. Confirm currency scope — templates for every note you handle, including foreign ones.
3. Confirm update commitment — free firmware at each new denomination release.
4. Enable serial logging — keep records for audit and recovery.
5. Plan cleaning — clear the sensor path and rollers so dust does not raise false rejects.
⚠️ Note: No device is 100%. For high denominations, re-check by eye after the device pass. Un-updated firmware misreads new notes and may pass fakes. Marker pens and handheld UV lamps are a secondary check only, not a substitute for layered verification. CIS quality depends on template freshness and sensor cleanliness.
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Q1: Is a marker pen enough?
No. It tests paper starch and fails on bleached-and-reprinted notes, while sometimes flagging worn genuine ones. Use it only as a helper.
Q2: What do MG, UV, IR and CIS each do?
MG reads the ink that only genuine notes carry, UV reads fluorescence, IR reads covert zones, CIS compares the full face and logs serials. Four properties, four locks.
Q3: Why update firmware?
Redesigns change security features; old templates misread new notes or miss sophisticated fakes. Continuous updates keep verification valid.
Q4: What is serial logging for?
It builds an audit trail — when a fake later appears, you trace the intake time and device for recovery and compliance.
Q5: Who needs multispectral verification?
Branches, retail lanes, cash centers, and any desk handling foreign notes. WEIRONG TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION (founded 2006; 61 software copyrights; 80+ countries and regions) builds MG+UV+IR+CIS sorters such as the JBY J 600 analyzer for these scenes.
Learn the three-lock logic and stop fakes at the point of intake. Visit hkweirong.com for the multispectral sorter range and the *Cash Security Selection Guide*; contact us via the site for a branch-level plan.
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