New Traceability and Authentication Technologies

As technology evolves, so do the methods used by counterfeiters and other bad actors in attempting to circumvent any new features put in place to ensure the authenticity and traceability of products. This is particularly true in the currency industries and, most relevant here, in the case of precious metals and numismatic products.

Many companies continue to advance their protective technologies – whether this focuses on authentication, certification or traceability – and below are a few examples.

Switzerland-based DNA-marking provider

Haelixa, is working with Argor-Heraeus Latin America, the leading international gold refiners and bar manufacturers, and Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) to trace metals.

Haelixa has created a unique DNA marker for Codelco to apply onsite to 99.99% of its gold bars. Once at the refinery, the provenance of the bars is verified through detection of the marker. The detection method is based on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and produces a reliable forensic result.