A method of making a marker for use in magnetomechanical electronic article surveillance system, comprising the steps of: (a)providing one or two annealed amorphous alloy articles produced by (i) providing an unannealed amorphous alloy article having an alloy composition and a longitudinal axis; (ii) disposing said unannealed amorphous alloy article in a zone of elevated temperature while subjecting said amorphous alloy to a tensile force along said longitudinal axis to produce an annealed article; and (iii) selecting said alloy composition to comprise Fe a- Co b Ni c M d Cu e Si x B y Z z, wherein a, b, c, d, e, x, y and z are in at%, wherein M is at least one element from the group consisting of Mo, Nb, and Ta, and Z is at least one element from the group consisting of C, P and Ge, and wherein a is between 30 and 45, b is less than or equal to 3, c is between 30 and 55, d is between 1 and 4, e is between 0 and 1, x is between 0 and 3, y is between 14 and 18, z is between 0 and 2, and d+x+y+z is between 15 and 22, and a+b+c+d+e+x+y+z = 100 whereby the annealed article has an induced magnetic easy plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis due to said tensile stress, and (b)placing said one or two annealed articles adjacent a magnetized ferromagnetic bias element which produces a bias magnetic field; and (c)encapsulating said one or two annealed articles and said bias element in a housing. (a)providing one or two annealed amorphous alloy articles produced by (i) providing an unannealed amorphous alloy article having an alloy composition and a longitudinal axis; (ii) disposing said unannealed amorphous alloy article in a zone of elevated temperature while subjecting said amorphous alloy to a tensile force along said longitudinal axis to produce an annealed article; and (iii) selecting said alloy composition to comprise Fe a- Co b Ni c M d Cu e Si x B y Z z, wherein a, b, c, d, e, x, y and z are in at%, wherein M is at least one element from the group consisting of Mo, Nb, and Ta, and Z is at least one element from the group consisting of C, P and Ge, and wherein a is between 30 and 45, b is less than or equal to 3, c is between 30 and 55, d is between 1 and 4, e is between 0 and 1, x is between 0 and 3, y is between 14 and 18, z is between 0 and 2, and d+x+y+z is between 15 and 22, and a+b+c+d+e+x+y+z = 100 whereby the annealed article has an induced magnetic easy plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis due to said tensile stress, and (i) providing an unannealed amorphous alloy article having an alloy composition and a longitudinal axis; (ii) disposing said unannealed amorphous alloy article in a zone of elevated temperature while subjecting said amorphous alloy to a tensile force along said longitudinal axis to produce an annealed article; and (iii) selecting said alloy composition to comprise Fe a- Co b Ni c M d Cu e Si x B y Z z, wherein a, b, c, d, e, x, y and z are in at%, wherein M is at least one element from the group consisting of Mo, Nb, and Ta, and Z is at least one element from the group consisting of C, P and Ge, and wherein a is between 30 and 45, b is less than or equal to 3, c is between 30 and 55, d is between 1 and 4, e is between 0 and 1, x is between 0 and 3, y is between 14 and 18, z is between 0 and 2, and d+x+y+z is between 15 and 22, and a+b+c+d+e+x+y+z = 100 whereby the annealed article has an induced magnetic easy plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis due to said tensile stress, and (b)placing said one or two annealed articles adjacent a magnetized ferromagnetic bias element which produces a bias magnetic field; and (c)encapsulating said one or two annealed articles and said bias element in a housing.