Abstract: Determination of the authenticity and integrity of various types of documents such as lottery tickets is accomplished by using an electronic verification machine to compare data contained in electronic circuits printed on the document to document data printed on the document. The electronic circuits are printed on the document in conductive or semiconductive ink using, for example, the gravure printing process, and the presence and status of the circuits can be used to verify or authenticate the document. Data can be represented in the electronic circuits by the electrical signature of the circuit which is measured by the electronic verification machine. In the case of lottery tickets, a ticket can be validated by having the electronic verification machine determine which play spots have been removed from the ticket and comparing data on the ticket with the removed play spots to determine a play redemption value for the ticket.

Abstract: A method for forming a document includes the steps of (1) selecting a marking medium that has a pre-determined machine-readable characteristic, and (2) selecting a document substrate that is compatible with the pre-determined machine-readable characteristic of the selected marking medium. An information symbol is secured to the selected document substrate. A security layer which includes the selected marking medium is also affixed to the document substrate so that the security layer is in at least partial register with the information symbol. The method can further include the step of affixing a blocking layer to the document substrate in at least partial register with the information symbol. The blocking layer can be affixed to the document substrate so that blocking layer is intermediate the information symbol and the security layer or so that the security layer is intermediate the information symbol and the blocking layer.