CoP electrolytic monolayers and multilayers were grown over copper wires using a constant or pulsed electrical current density, exhibiting radial or planar anisotropy, respectively. Over the surface of a monolayer, multilayers of different thicknesses were deposited. The surface radial anisotropy evolves to a planar one as the overlayer thicknesses increase. The surface magnetization is coupled with the bulk anisotropy for overlayer thickness up to approximate to 2 mu m. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.