The fluorescent security element of the tax label

The image below shows the bottle caps of whiskey distributed in Mandalay, Maynmar. The label on the whiskey bottles (issued by the Internal Revenue Department; IRD of Myanmar) proves that the product is authentic. If UV rays are applied to the label using MP12t, it turns blue, and its upper section partially turns fluorescent yellow green and a fluorescent yellow green star appears.

Under Myanmer's tax system, tax labeling is very important. Depending on the product type, price and law, different watermark, color and code labels will be applied.

Fluorescent security elements on the new bill of Turkey (Lira)

The monetary unit of Turkey is the lira. There are six types of bills: 5 lira, 10 lira, 20 lira, 50 lira, 100 lira, and 200 lira.

The front side of all bills has Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The rear side of 100 lira has musicians Buhurizade Mustafa Itri and Lutes. The rear side of 100 lira show the poet Yunus Emre and his Mausoleum.

While 100 lira and 200 lira have different designs, the fluorescent security elements are the same.

1. Front side : The fluorescent line appears on the left in middle when using UV light on it, and the number indicating the type of bill, appears on the portrait area of Atatürk. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

2. Back side : The serial number changes from black to green when using UV light on it. An iridescent stripe, indicating the type of bill, and a fluorescent band appear in the center. Like the front side, fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

The current bills, E-9 group, have been used since January 1, 2009. While up to 50 lira have been widely used, the 100 lira bill is the big money in Turkey, and 200 lira is hardly used. Caution is required because counterfeit bills for 50 lira and 100 lira have been found.

Fluorescent security elements of the bill of Hungary(Forint)

The present currency was introduced from 1997 to 2001. The size of all bills is the same. Anti-forgery elements are significantly intensified as compared to previous currencies.

1. 500 Forints
Front side : The red serial number on the left bottom changes its color to fluorescent orange, and the fluorescent security element, hidden at the far left, appears when using UV light on it. A part of the design(person on a horse) in the center and at the right end of the bill shows a fluorescent reaction. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

Back side : A part of the design in the center and the left end shows a fluorescent reaction. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

2. 1,000 Forints
Front side : The black serial number on the left bottom changes its color to fluorescent yellow-green, and the fluorescent security element (crow holding a ring with its beak), hidden at the far left, appears when using UV light on it. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill

Back side : Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

3. 5,000 Forints
Front side : The red serial number on the left bottom changes its color to fluorescent orange, and the fluorescent security element (Szecheny Landchid), hidden at the far left, appears when using UV light on it. A part of the design around the portrait of Szechenyi Istvan shows a fluorescent reaction. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

Back side : A part of the design shows a fluorescent reaction. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

4. 10,000 Forints
Front side : The fluorescent security element (Esztergorm), hidden at the far left, appears when using UV light on it. A part of a striped hologram changes its color to fluorescent yellow-green, and the black serial number at the far right changes its color to fluorescent yellow-green. Fluorescent security fibers and red dots reaction appear on the entire bill.

Back side : Fluorescent security fibers and red dots reaction appear on the entire bill.

5. 20,000 Forints
Front side : The black serial number on the bottom left and at the far right changes its color to fluorescent yellow-green when using UV light on it. The fluorescent security element(the number "20000", indicating the type of bill, and a strolling couple), hidden at the far left, appears. A part of a striped hologram changes its color to fluorescent yellow-green. The number "20000", indicating the type of bill, appears lengthwise right next to the portrait of Deak Ferenc. Fluorescent security fibers and red dots reaction appear on the entire bill.

Back side : Fluorescent security fibers and red dots reaction appear on the entire bill.

Fluorescent security elements of the bill of the Czech Republic(Koruna)

Koruna, the currency of the Czech Republic, means "crown". It was the Czechoslovakia koruna in the past. When Czech and Slovakia were divided on February 8, 1993, the Czechoslovakia koruna and Czech koruna were exchanged at a ratio one-to-one(same for Slovakia).

Czech korunas are printed using delicate lines and bright colors.


1. 100 Korunas

Front side : The number "100", indicating the type of bill, changes its color on the upper half part to fluorescent green when using UV light on it. A part of the figure of Karl IV at the far right changes to fluorescent green. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

Back side : Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

2. 200 Korunas
Front side : The number "200", indicating the type of bill, changes its color on the upper half part to fluorescent yellow when using UV light on it. A part of the figure of Johann Amos Comenius at the far right changes to fluorescent yellow. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

Back side : Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

3. 500 Korunas
Front side : The number "500", indicating the type of bill, its color on the upper half part to fluorescent yellow green and on the lower half to fluorescent yellow when using UV light on it. The letters "PĚT SET KORUN ČESKÝCH” and "ká národní banka" on the center change to fluorescent yellow. Furthermore, a fluorescent security elements, hidden at the far right and left, appear. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

Back side : Like the front side, a fluorescent security element, hidden at the far right and left, appears. The serial number printed in black changes to fluorescent yellow-green. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

4. 1,000 Korunas

Front side : The number "1000", indicating the type of bill, changes its color on the upper half part to fluorescent yellow and on the lower half to fluorescent blue when using UV light on it. A part of the figure of Frantisek Palacky changes its color to fluorescent yellow and blue. Like the 500 koruna bill, a fluorescent security elements, hidden at the far right and left, appear. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

Back side : Like the front side, a fluorescent security element, hidden at the far right and left, appears. The serial number printed in black changes to fluorescent yellow-green. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

5. 2,000 Korunas

Front side : The number "2000", indicating the type of bill, changes its color on the upper half part to fluorescent green, and fluorescent security elements, hidden at the far right and left, appear when using UV light on it. A part of the figure of Emmy Destinn changes its color to fluorescent green. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

Back side : Like the front side, a fluorescent security elements, hidden at the far right and left, appear. The serial number printed in black changes to fluorescent yellow-green. Fluorescent security fibers are printed on the entire bill.

Security elements of New RMB Bills

The new RMB bills with the fortified device for preventing forgery and falsification were issued in November 2015. Only the 100 RMB bills were newly issued.

The new and old bills are compared:

<The old bill as above and the new bill as below>

The front of new bill is added with a partially exposed silver line that changes its color by the viewing angle.

The number '100' indicating the denomination in the center was also changed from a generic design to an OVI(Optical Variable Ink) type which changes its color by the viewing angle(from copper to green).

The serial number at the edge on the right of the bill reacts to fluorescence. The small number '100' at the lower part on the left appears in perfect form only under light.

Other than slight design change, the back of the bill is similar to the old one in therms of the security element.

The new bill with the fortified device for preventing forgery and falsification was the effort of the Chinese government to improve confidence in the RMB bills ahead of the globalization, but it was caught up in controversy in March 2016 where counterfeit bills of the new bill were found. Following the issuance of new bills, the counterfeit of old bills were also in circulation and the number of counterfeit bills uncovered is increasing. This matter requires caution for foreign tourists and visitors in China.

The fluorescence security elements for checking a genuine product of wine.

In 2014, the fake wine of over 28 million Euro has been caught in Italia that is the largest wine production country of the world. According to EUIPO, the annual fake wine is estimated to occupy around 2.3% of the sales legally sold in total.

There are a lot of the fake wines that are in genuine bottles, different in the contents and there are many cases that mix and put low quality grape or put various kinds of harmful chemical addictives such as hydrochloric acid, manure and fertilizer etc. to make tannin taste like ripening in oak barrel. As the method of forging wine is getting bolder and bolder and advancing, consumer's attention is needed.

The below photo is the label of wine being circulated in the Korean mart. As a DOCG authentication label of Italia which is an abbereviation of Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita, the fluorescence security elements that can check the genuine wine is displayed, when lighting UV rays.

As the fake wine is in full swing, each wine brand is utilizing various methods such as bar code check, hologram packing (mark), microchip label, fine lettering etc. When purchasing wine, you can prevent the damage caused by the fake wine only when checking the bottle and label and purchasing at the safe and reliable sales places without fail.

Fluorescent security elements verifying the authenticity of cigarette

The profit margin of smuggled cigarette is high as the rate of tax imposed is quite high in comparison with the cost of sales. The cigarette smuggling has occupied a position as the world largest smuggling merchandise beyond and over the peddler business, which appears as the biggest profit making business for those organized gangsters, military rebels & warlords or terrorists. In the past, the smugglers dodged the tax smuggled the genuine cigarettes, but now they manufacture the fake cigarettes and illegally sell. As the smugglers are using the elaborate forging even including the holograms, the major cigarette manufacturers have been struggling to win the wars against these fake cigarette products by frequently changing the packaging.


The fake cigarettes have been produced primarily in the Kaliningrad, and outskirt region of Russia, and East Europe countries, while the largest producing area is known as the China. The fake cigarettes produced in the Guandong Province and like places are disguised as other products and exported to whole world. Comparing the cigarette smuggling with that of narcotics,  the penalties are relatively trifling, and that is the reason why the fake cigarette smuggling are not subsiding.

In 2013, the 360 thousand packets(Appx. 2.2 million Euros) of fake cigarettes hidden inside one of Chinese cargoes at the Valencia Port, Spain were uncovered and disposed. In Korea as well, at one point the selling of fake premium products and 50 thousand packets of fake cigarettes made in China primarily around the entertainment business places were once exposed.

The labels attached for a purpose of preventing forging and falsifying are shown on the photographs taken for the Dunhill cigarette products. Flashing the UV ray using the UV LED Detector MP12t of M-VISION shows the letters of '中国烟草(Chinese cigarette)' standing for the China National Tobacco Corporation in a silver square at the bottom part of label, applying the fluorescent security element to verifying the authenticity of cigarette.

[Pictures of cigarette 'Dunhill']

[The authentic label]

[The authentic label under UV ray]

[Comparison of natural light with UV ray]

The genuine cigarettes are different from the fake cigarettes in terms of packet color, printing condition, content & etc. as well as the colors and flavors of cigarettes. The fake cigarettes hold more trunks than cigarette leaves, containing several more times of tar and nicotine contents, and the heavy metals such as cadmium, insecticides, rat poisons and even the human feces. Further, the functions of fake cigarette filters are so poor inflicting lots of damage to human bodies. It is necessary to pay extra attention not to hurt our health because of fake cigarettes.