Method for authenticating a high-value item

A method for authenticating a high-value item, the method comprising:

• generating and applying to the item an optically identifiable code;
• and
• reading and interpreting said code using a reader,
• wherein:
• a surface region of the item provided with a graphic or a surface structure, or a part of said surface region, is selected,
• a code is generated in the form of a two-dimensional arrangement of code elements in the form of line and/or area elements, the code having an information content, the outline of the two-dimensional arrangement being adapted to the outline of the surface region or of the part of a surface region,
• the code elements being integrated into the graphic or surface structure of the surface region or the part of a surface region,
• the code is further linked to an information source that provides information, able to be displayed on a display, in relation to the item,
• a reader, such as a smartphone, is provided with programming for recognizing and reading the code, and
• when the code is read, the link to the information source is activated and the information is displayed on the display of the reader.