A method for verifying the authenticity of a mark, the method comprising: receiving an image of a candidate mark from an image acquisition device; using the image to measure one or more characteristics at a plurality of locations on the candidate mark, resulting in a first set of metrics; removing, from the first set of metrics, a metric that indicates damage to the candidate mark, resulting in a trimmed first set of metrics; retrieving, from a computer-readable memory, a second set of metrics that represents one or more characteristics measured at a plurality of locations on an original mark; removing, from the second set of metrics, a metric corresponding to the metric removed from the first set of metrics, resulting in a trimmed second set of metrics; comparing the trimmed first set of metrics with the trimmed second set of metrics; determining whether the candidate mark can be verified as genuine based on the comparison; characterized in that if, based on the comparison, the mark is determined not to be genuine, carrying out further actions comprising: removing, from the trimmed first set of metrics, a metric that indicates damage to the candidate mark, resulting in a trimmed third set of metrics; removing, from the second trimmed set of metrics, a metric corresponding to the metric removed from the trimmed first set of metrics, resulting in a trimmed fourth set of metrics; comparing the trimmed third set of metrics with the trimmed fourth set of metrics; determining whether the mark can be verified to be genuine based on the comparison of the trimmed third set of metrics and the trimmed fourth set of metrics; and repeating the removing, comparing, and determining steps for successive trimmed sets of metrics until the metrics remaining in the trimmed set of metrics for the candidate mark is less than a predetermined threshold amount. receiving an image of a candidate mark from an image acquisition device; using the image to measure one or more characteristics at a plurality of locations on the candidate mark, resulting in a first set of metrics; removing, from the first set of metrics, a metric that indicates damage to the candidate mark, resulting in a trimmed first set of metrics; retrieving, from a computer-readable memory, a second set of metrics that represents one or more characteristics measured at a plurality of locations on an original mark; removing, from the second set of metrics, a metric corresponding to the metric removed from the first set of metrics, resulting in a trimmed second set of metrics; comparing the trimmed first set of metrics with the trimmed second set of metrics; determining whether the candidate mark can be verified as genuine based on the comparison; characterized in that if, based on the comparison, the mark is determined not to be genuine, carrying out further actions comprising: removing, from the trimmed first set of metrics, a metric that indicates damage to the candidate mark, resulting in a trimmed third set of metrics; removing, from the second trimmed set of metrics, a metric corresponding to the metric removed from the trimmed first set of metrics, resulting in a trimmed fourth set of metrics; comparing the trimmed third set of metrics with the trimmed fourth set of metrics; determining whether the mark can be verified to be genuine based on the comparison of the trimmed third set of metrics and the trimmed fourth set of metrics; and repeating the removing, comparing, and determining steps for successive trimmed sets of metrics until the metrics remaining in the trimmed set of metrics for the candidate mark is less than a predetermined threshold amount. removing, from the trimmed first set of metrics, a metric that indicates damage to the candidate mark, resulting in a trimmed third set of metrics; removing, from the second trimmed set of metrics, a metric corresponding to the metric removed from the trimmed first set of metrics, resulting in a trimmed fourth set of metrics; comparing the trimmed third set of metrics with the trimmed fourth set of metrics; determining whether the mark can be verified to be genuine based on the comparison of the trimmed third set of metrics and the trimmed fourth set of metrics; and repeating the removing, comparing, and determining steps for successive trimmed sets of metrics until the metrics remaining in the trimmed set of metrics for the candidate mark is less than a predetermined threshold amount.