Disclosed is a method of authenticating a magnetic recording medium, capable of immediately detecting unauthorized use of a magnetic recording medium by a stranger other than an owner of the magnetic recording medium, and maintaining a degree of compatibility with conventional magnetic recording mediums. In this method, a physical pattern is formed in a recording region adapted to magnetically record basic information thereon, so as to change a magnetic property of the recording region to an extent allowing the basic information to be read from and / or written in the recording region. On the occasion of authentication of the magnetic recording medium, a magnetic characteristic induced by the physical pattern is read from the recording region to generate authentication information in accordance with the magnetic characteristic. Then, the magnetic recording medium is authenticated in accordance with the authentication information. When the basic information on the magnetic recording medium formed with the physical pattern is duly rewritten, new authentication information is re-generated to authenticate the rewritten magnetic recording medium in accordance with the new authentication information.Magnetic card authentication means capable of immediately detecting an unauthorized use or an authorized rewrite of recorded content by a person other than the authorized person and maintaining compatibility with a conventional magnetic card to a certain extent. For this, physical pattern formation is performed by forming a physical pattern in a recording area for changing magnetic characteristic of the recording area within a range enabling read and / or write of basic information magnetically recorded in the recording area. Upon authentication, magnetic characteristic based on the physical pattern is read out from the magnetic recording area. According to this, authentication information is generated and according to the authentication information.