US Patent 7199889 Printer capable of invalidating a document

A printer capable of invalidating a document of value is described. The printer includes a printing mechanism, a cutter, a sensor suitable for sensing authentication characteristics of a document and outputting a sensor signal corresponding to the sensed characteristics, and a controller. The controller is operable to send authentication data representing the sensor signal to a server, cause the cutter to cut the document to invalidate the document, and send data representing completion of the invalidation of the document to the server.