Data carrier with an optical authenticity feature, and method of making and checking the data carrier.

A data carrier, such as an identification or credit card, contains in its interior information, which is introduced with the aid of a laser beam in the form of irreversible changes of optical properties. To customize the visual impression of the data carrier diverse, a plastic layer is provided with a lenticular lens on the surface of the data carrier. The laser beam penetrates the lens array and generated in the underlying region of the desired optical information. By lenticular the areas of information recording are limited. By the action of the lenses, the recorded information can be seen only from certain angles. The detection of the entire information is done under the same angle at which the information was previously recorded with the aid of the laser beam through the lenticular screen. A photographic or electrophotographic copying of the data carrier is not possible.