Abstract: This invention falls within the scope of steganography, i.e., encoding of information (such as a text) into other information, for example, an image. It is the object of this invention a computational method for generating at least one image with coded information comprising the steps of: i) associating an information to be coded to a plurality of graphic elements, each of the graphic elements consisting of a symbol out of a plurality of symbols, thus generating a pattern of graphic elements and ii) generating at least one image comprising at least one pattern obtained from step i). This method introduces a consistent and highly flexible way of encoding information into an image. Additionally, this invention has also as object a system associated to the said method, images obtained from the said method, as well as a reading method and system thereof.

Abstract: The invention deals with a technology for minting coins and medals. The technology is based on the utilization of metal blanks with similar diameters, one being very thin (hereafter named as the foil), joined together by mechanical means during the impartion of the surface details by the minting dies. The technology requires the design and manufacture of a special geometry in the edge of the thicker disk in order to make possible assembly of the metal blanks. The proposed technology is based on a multi-stage manufacturing process consisting of three cold metal forming operations (preforming, rimming and coining) and one intermediate annealing treatment. The first metal forming operation ensures the preforming of the thicker disk blank, hereafter named as the disk. The second metal forming stage is the rimming operation in which the preformed disk is bent along its diameter in order to generate a suitable profile for subsequent assembly with the foil.