A method for the automatic verification of the authenticity of postage indicia that have a value indication and that have a luminescent area, whereby the postage indicium has been applied onto the surface of a mailpiece, with the following steps: • the surface of the mailpiece is illuminated with light having wavelengths from a first spectral region, • a first image of the surface of the mailpiece is taken with a camera system, • the first image is evaluated regarding the place or places where the postage indicia have been applied onto the surface of the mailpiece, • the surface of the mailpiece is illuminated with light having wavelengths from a second spectral region, whereby this light is capable of exciting the luminescence of the luminescent printing ink, • a second image of the surface of the mailpiece is taken with a camera system, • the second image is evaluated regarding the place or places of luminescence, • the two evaluations are compared regarding the criterion of the presence of luminescence at the place or places where the evaluation of the first image has shown that postage indicia have been applied, whereby the only postage indicia that are further examined in the subsequent steps are those for which the presence of luminescence was ascertained, • an image section or image sections of the second image are defined at the place or places where the presence of postage indicia was ascertained, • this image section or these image sections are evaluated regarding the determination of the placement and geometry of the luminescence pattern or luminescence patterns of each postage indicium that was detected on the surface of the mailpiece and for which the presence of luminescence was ascertained, • the evaluation of the image section or image sections is compared to stored luminescence patterns and, if this yields a match, the decision is made that a given postage indicium is authentic, whereby the stored luminescence patterns and luminescence intensities are determined on the basis of the postage indicia located in the stream of mailpieces, which is done in that detected luminescence patterns and luminescence intensities are stored as a reference pattern as a function of an adjustable frequency of the occurrence, • the image section or image sections are evaluated regarding the determination of the intensity of the luminescence of each postage indicium that was detected on the surface of the mailpiece and for which the presence of luminescence was ascertained, • the intensity of the luminescence is compared to stored luminescence intensities and, if this yields a match, the decision is made that a given postage indicium is authentic. • the surface of the mailpiece is illuminated with light having wavelengths from a first spectral region, • a first image of the surface of the mailpiece is taken with a camera system, • the first image is evaluated regarding the place or places where the postage indicia have been applied onto the surface of the mailpiece, • the surface of the mailpiece is illuminated with light having wavelengths from a second spectral region, whereby this light is capable of exciting the luminescence of the luminescent printing ink, • a second image of the surface of the mailpiece is taken with a camera system, • the second image is evaluated regarding the place or places of luminescence, • the two evaluations are compared regarding the criterion of the presence of luminescence at the place or places where the evaluation of the first image has shown that postage indicia have been applied, whereby the only postage indicia that are further examined in the subsequent steps are those for which the presence of luminescence was ascertained, • an image section or image sections of the second image are defined at the place or places where the presence of postage indicia was ascertained, • this image section or these image sections are evaluated regarding the determination of the placement and geometry of the luminescence pattern or luminescence patterns of each postage indicium that was detected on the surface of the mailpiece and for which the presence of luminescence was ascertained, • the evaluation of the image section or image sections is compared to stored luminescence patterns and, if this yields a match, the decision is made that a given postage indicium is authentic, whereby the stored luminescence patterns and luminescence intensities are determined on the basis of the postage indicia located in the stream of mailpieces, which is done in that detected luminescence patterns and luminescence intensities are stored as a reference pattern as a function of an adjustable frequency of the occurrence, • the image section or image sections are evaluated regarding the determination of the intensity of the luminescence of each postage indicium that was detected on the surface of the mailpiece and for which the presence of luminescence was ascertained, • the intensity of the luminescence is compared to stored luminescence intensities and, if this yields a match, the decision is made that a given postage indicium is authentic.