Method and apparatus for identification and authentication of an object

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for identification and authentication of an object using applied to the object coded information. The operation is based on the principle of a laser scanner, which has at least two photoelectric detectors with subsequent decoders. In a first measuring channel a coating applied to an article open coding in the form of a bar code based on the different reflection / absorption of light to dark and light areas, is detected in a classical way. In the second measurement channel to detect a force applied to the same object coded security information is performed. The latter is preferably applied in the form of luminescent security pigments / dyes. These are excited by means of the light source of the bar code scanner at a particular optical wavelength and expand in at least one other wavelength range a specific luminescence. The detector means of the second measuring channel is preferably provided with a wavelength-selecting element.