Method for checking documents of value which have a front side and, opposite the front side, a rear side and comprise a substrate and, applied on the substrate in at least one section of the front side of the document of value, a specified luminescent substance, the method comprising the steps of: - irradiating a first side of the document of value with excitation radiation by means of an excitation device to excite luminescence of the luminescent substance, wherein the first side is the rear side of the document of value, - reflecting a part of the excitation radiation that emerged on the front side of the document of value after transmission through the document of value, at least partially back to the document of value, and exciting the luminescent substance to emit luminescence radiation by way of the reflected part, and/or reflecting luminescence radiation which was generated by excitation of the luminescent substance on the front side of the document of value by means of the excitation radiation and is emitted on the front side of the document of value, at least partially back to the document of value, wherein upon reflection the excitation radiation and/or luminescence radiation (67 or 69) is at least approximately focused at the document of value, - capturing luminescence radiation which was excited by excitation of the luminescent substance on the front side of the document of value by way of at least one part of the excitation radiation after transmission through the substrate of the document of value and emerges from the document of value at least partially after transmission through the document of value at the rear side of the document of value, by means of a capturing device, wherein during capturing also at least one part of the luminescence radiation excited by the reflected part of the excitation radiation is likewise captured after transmission to the rear side of the document of value and emergence from the document of value, and/or during capturing the reflected luminescence radiation is likewise captured at least partially after transmission to the rear side of the document of value and emergence from the document of value, and - checking the document of value in dependence on at least one property of the captured luminescence radiation by means of an evaluation device. - irradiating a first side of the document of value with excitation radiation by means of an excitation device to excite luminescence of the luminescent substance, wherein the first side is the rear side of the document of value, - reflecting a part of the excitation radiation that emerged on the front side of the document of value after transmission through the document of value, at least partially back to the document of value, and exciting the luminescent substance to emit luminescence radiation by way of the reflected part, and/or reflecting luminescence radiation which was generated by excitation of the luminescent substance on the front side of the document of value by means of the excitation radiation and is emitted on the front side of the document of value, at least partially back to the document of value, wherein upon reflection the excitation radiation and/or luminescence radiation (67 or 69) is at least approximately focused at the document of value, - capturing luminescence radiation which was excited by excitation of the luminescent substance on the front side of the document of value by way of at least one part of the excitation radiation after transmission through the substrate of the document of value and emerges from the document of value at least partially after transmission through the document of value at the rear side of the document of value, by means of a capturing device, wherein during capturing also at least one part of the luminescence radiation excited by the reflected part of the excitation radiation is likewise captured after transmission to the rear side of the document of value and emergence from the document of value, and/or during capturing the reflected luminescence radiation is likewise captured at least partially after transmission to the rear side of the document of value and emergence from the document of value, and - checking the document of value in dependence on at least one property of the captured luminescence radiation by means of an evaluation device.