Numbering process for securities, method for processing the numbered securities and numbering device to carry out the numbering process

There is described a process for numbering substrates having security prints printed thereon, each of the substrates comprising a plurality of security prints which are arranged in k columns and n rows on the substrate, wherein product k*n is an integer multiple of ten or of twenty-five. The process comprises the step of numbering successive runs of 10N substrates each, by providing each of the security prints with a serial number Serial#, the serial number Serial# being calculated with the formula: Serial#=Start#+α*[(r−1)*k*n*10N+((i−1)*n+(j−1))*10N+MOD(s−1; 10N)], where Start# is a starting number from which numbering starts, α is equal to −1 or +1 depending on whether numbering is carried out downwards or, respectively upwards, r identifies the run of 10N successive substrates, i and j respectively identify the column and the row on the substrate where the security print to be numbered is located, s is a number which identifies the substrate onto which the security print to be numbered is located and MOD(x; y) designates the so-called modulus function which returns the integer remainder of the division of y by x. Digits N+2 and N+1 of the serial number Serial# are produced by sequential actuation of a double numbering wheel (13, 14) bearing a predetermined sequence of digit pairs for digits N+2 and N+1. Also described are numbering boxes to carry out the numbering process.