Systems and methods which provide anti-counterfeiting patterns tagged with multi-mode nanotaggants, such as may comprise single-mode nanoparticles, multi-mode nanoparticles, or a combination thereof, are described. The multi-mode nanotaggants of embodiments are configured to exhibit prescribed emissions by excitation at distinct stimulus wavelengths. Decryption of anti-counterfeiting patterns tagged with multi-mode nanotaggants of embodiments of the invention may be achieved by examining temporal color responses of the pattern to varying illuminations. In addition to the various color codes that may be encrypted into an anti-counterfeiting pattern using nanotaggants, embodiments provide various graphic codes that may be encrypted into anti-counterfeiting patterns. Such graphic codes may not only comprise the graphic pattern of the anti-counterfeiting pattern itself, but one or more graphic patterns of nanotaggants of the anti-counterfeiting pattern.