Security document and/or a document of value

1. A security document and/or document of value comprising:

at least one information vector; and

at least one masking element in the form of a strip having at least one semi-reflecting region covering the information vector at least in part, the masking element being of a width that is less than the width of the document,

the masking element comprising a semi-reflective coating comprising one or more metals or iridescent pigments, the semi-reflective coating only being present over a fraction of the surface of the masking element.

2. A document according to claim 1 , the masking element only being semi-reflecting over a fraction of its surface.

3. A document according to claim 1 , the masking element including at least one light-opaque region surrounding a semi-reflecting window.

4. A document according to claim 1 , the masking element being semi-reflecting over its entire surface.

5. A document according to claim 1 , the semi-reflecting coating comprising dots or a screen.

6. A document according to claim 1 , the semi-reflecting coating comprising dots or a screen where metal has been removed.

7. A document according to claim 1 , the semi-reflecting coating comprising a layer of metal of thickness that is sufficiently small to enable light to be transmitted through said layer of metal.

8. A document according to claim 7 , the thickness being in the range of 50 nm to 150 nm.

9. A document according to claim 8 , wherein the thickness is close to 100 nm.

10. A document according to claim 1 , the iridescent pigments being selected from extracts of mother-of-pearl; salts of lead; and micas.

11. A document according to claim 1 , the semi-reflecting coating comprising dots or a screen of metal or where metal has been removed, implemented on the information vector.

12. A document according to claim 1 , the masking element comprising a support.

13. A document according to claim 12 , wherein the support is a flexible support on which the semi-reflecting coating has been deposited.

14. A document according to claim 12 , the information vector being carried by the support.

15. A document according to claim 12 , the support being transparent.

16. A document according to claim 12 , comprising two supports with the information vector placed between them.

17. A document according to claim 12 , the support being embedded in a layer of the document, at least in part.

18. A document according to claim 12 , the support coming flush with a face of the document.

19. A document according to claim 1 , including a multilayer structure transferred onto the surface of the document, the multilayer structure comprising a semi-reflecting coating and the information vector.

20. A document according to claim 1 , the masking element comprising a semi-reflecting film, the information vector being carried by the semi-reflecting film or made by the document.

21. A document according to claim 20 , the semi-reflecting film being an iridescent film.

22. A document according to claim 21 , the information vector comprising a printing of an ink, the printing being negative or positive.

23. A document according to claim 22 , the information vector carrying at least one of the following patterns: a word; a drawing; a symbol.

24. A document according to claim 23 , the masking element including a plurality of semi-reflecting windows, and the windows and the patterns coinciding in regular manner.

25. A document according to claim 23 , the masking element including a plurality of semi-reflecting windows and the windows and the patterns coinciding in irregular manner.

26. A document according to claim 1 , the masking element having a thickness in the range of 6 μm to 60 μm.

27. A document according to claim 1 , the masking element having a width greater than 0.7 mm.

28. A document according to claim 27 , the width being in the range of 1 mm to 25 mm.

29. A document according to claim 1 , including at least one fiber layer.

30. A document according to claim 1 , having no pattern suitable for co-operating with the information vector masked by the masking element to define a composite pattern when the document is observed in transmitted light.

31. A document according to claim 1 , constituting one of the following elements: a banknote; a coupon; a label for protecting a trademark or goods; a traceability label.

32. A security document and/or a document of value including:

at least one information vector carrying information that is complete; and

at least one masking element having at least one semi-reflecting region completely covering the information vector, the masking element extending over a fraction only of one of the faces of the document,

the masking element comprising a semi-reflective coating comprising one or more metals or iridescent pigments, the semi-reflective coating only being present over a fraction of the surface of the masking element.

33. A strip structure for being incorporated in or transferred at least in part onto a document of width greater than the width of the structure, the structure comprising:

at least one information vector; and

at least one masking element having at least one semi-reflecting region covering the information vector at least in part,

the masking element comprising a semi-reflective coating comprising one or more metals or iridescent pigments, the semi-reflective coating only being present over a fraction of the surface of the masking element.

34. A document according to claim 3 , the masking element presenting varying width with edges that are not completely rectilinear, defining wider portions alternating with narrower portions.

35. A document according to claim 34 , the masking element having windows situated in the wider portions.

36. A document according to claim 3 , the masking element having semi-reflecting windows that extend on an area greater than the area on which the information vector extends.

37. A document according to claim 12 , the masking element including a release layer between the support and the semi-reflecting coating.