New "Bullion Protect" Feature by Metalor

[LawrenceChard]

I have just had my first sighting of the New "Bullion Protect" Feature by Metalor:

Now to find out more about it...

 

[paulmerton]

The QR code contains "aZ4jA".

[paulmerton]

Oooh interesting, you can get a validator card too: https://metalor.com/banks-traders-investment/bullionprotect/

[paulmerton]

More reading for @LawrenceChard! https://www.sicpa.com/solutions/brand-and-product-protection

[GoldDiggerDave]

This is coming, I'm half expecting 1oz gold Brits at some point having a QR imbedded into the coins as a "new security feature"  Only the original buyer will be able to liquidate them?  Or "they" could make it illegal to hold  QR gold that's not registered to you?   

 

[paulmerton]

I suspect the QR code is generated by encrypting the stamped serial number (or some derivation thereof) with a private key. That would allow an app to decrypt the QR code to reveal the expected serial number, thus verifying the QR code is legitimate. For an arbitrary serial number, you shouldn't be able to forge the correct QR code value without having the private key. I say shouldn't, as the amount of data in the QR code is not massive and it feels as though it would be trivial to brute force it in minutes by guessing every value. If you were to copy both the QR code value and the serial number verbatim, then you have the physical security features of the QR code to fall back on (the light reactive ink, etc).

This is a relevant patent cited by SICPA https://patents.google.com/patent/US20150358163