In recent years, the precious metals market has seen an increasingly worrying number of fake or counterfeit kilobars. Fake bars do not contain the stated amount of gold: they may contain no gold at all, or gold alloyed with other metals, typically tungsten. A counterfeit bar is made of high purity gold, but its serial number and hallmark – apparently that of a reputable manufacturer – are forgeries.
To ensure the integrity of the bullion market, SICPA, the leading Swiss provider of global security solutions for currencies, and Metalor Technologies have jointly developed a technology-based security feature called BullionProtect®. A special high-security ink is applied directly to the surface of the bullion, adding negligible weight (<20 mg). Its security is built on proven technologies with high anti-counterfeit robustness that have been used in specialized markets, such as passports, for more than a decade.
