Threads and the Value of Substrate-Embedded Security – an Inside View from Louisenthal

Threads have developed into a security arsenal all on their own. But to provide a truly effective defence against the counterfeiter, the technical specification and design must be integrated perfectly. And they also need to be embedded perfectly into the note.

In January 2022 the European Central Bank announced that the number of counterfeit euro banknotes hit an all-time low: in 2021 effectively around 12 counterfeits detected per 1 million genuine banknotes. Why? Because ‘counterfeits are easy to detect as they have no security features or only very poor imitations of them’, the ECB stated.

Undoubtedly security features play a critical role in preventing forgery and this applies to any currency. It’s a parcel of recognised security features that challenges the counterfeiter. But that parcel needs to be thoughtfully developed for secure industrialisation and public recognition and acceptance.

In the opinion of Stephan Morgenstern, Head of Paper Production at Louisenthal, it’s more like ‘when paper and thread meet in the banknote, the result is ideally far more than maximum security. There is a multitude of security features and these come together in an optimal way when research, development, and production work together to make a banknote difficult to forge’.