A security marking comprising: a flat substrate ; a magnetically induced layer of a material comprising magnetically oriented reflective platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles, the magnetically induced layer being applied on the substrate , characterized in that the magnetically induced layer comprises a first zone wherein said magnetically oriented reflective platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles have their planar faces oriented in a first direction and a second zone , distinct from the first zone , wherein said magnetically oriented reflective platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles have their planar faces oriented in a second direction distinct from the first direction, the platelet-shaped particles in the first zone having planar faces with an elevation angle γ 1 with respect to a plane of the substrate and the platelet-shaped particles in the second zone having planar faces with an elevation angle γ 2 with respect to the plane of the substrate , each acute angle of the planar faces with respect to the plane of the substrate being in a range from about 5° to about 25°; a machine readable marking including a reference pattern and a code pattern representing encoded data, the machine readable marking being respectively applied either on a top face of the magnetically induced layer or on the substrate between said substrate and a rear face of the magnetically induced layer , a first area of the code pattern being disposed in front of the first zone and a remaining second area of the code pattern being disposed in front of the second zone . a flat substrate ; a magnetically induced layer of a material comprising magnetically oriented reflective platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles, the magnetically induced layer being applied on the substrate , characterized in that the magnetically induced layer comprises a first zone wherein said magnetically oriented reflective platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles have their planar faces oriented in a first direction and a second zone , distinct from the first zone , wherein said magnetically oriented reflective platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles have their planar faces oriented in a second direction distinct from the first direction, the platelet-shaped particles in the first zone having planar faces with an elevation angle γ 1 with respect to a plane of the substrate and the platelet-shaped particles in the second zone having planar faces with an elevation angle γ 2 with respect to the plane of the substrate , each acute angle of the planar faces with respect to the plane of the substrate being in a range from about 5° to about 25°; a machine readable marking including a reference pattern and a code pattern representing encoded data, the machine readable marking being respectively applied either on a top face of the magnetically induced layer or on the substrate between said substrate and a rear face of the magnetically induced layer , a first area of the code pattern being disposed in front of the first zone and a remaining second area of the code pattern being disposed in front of the second zone . <EOS>