METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHECKING VALUE DOCUMENTS

A method of checking value documents having a security element with a plurality of magnetic areas, including a high-coercivity magnetic area, a low-coercivity magnetic area and a combined magnetic area, which contains both the high-coercivity and the low-coercivity magnetic material. When all magnetic areas have been magnetized in a first direction, second magnetization is performed, which involves only the low-coercivity magnetic material being remagnetized parallel to the first magnetization in the opposite direction, but the high-coercivity magnetic material remaining oriented in the first direction of magnetization. Next, first magnetic signals from the security element are detected using a first magnetic detector, and second magnetic signals are detected using a second magnetic detector. The magnetic signals are used to identify each magnetic area of the security element as a high-coercivity, a low-coercivity or a combined magnetic area.