Counterfeit bill detection is a necessary evil in a world where high-tech printers and ever-smarter criminals are producing counterfeit bills that can fool most people. Counterfeit money detectors, and many bill counters, help quickly catch counterfeit bills before it becomes a serious problem. I personally recommend any business that deals with tangible cash on a regular basis to use a counterfeit detector. One popular method for catching counterfeit bills is MG (magnetic) detection.

Legitimate US currency implements magnetic ink in strategic locations to help thwart counterfeiters. Many modern counterfeit money detectors, and most bill counters with counterfeit detection, will check for magnetic ink.

Most manual counterfeit money detectors require that you slide a bill over a magnetic sensor. If the bill is legitimate, it will usually audibly and visually indicate that it is real. The process takes just seconds and is faster than manual UV detection or counterfeit ink pen detection.

Most modern bill counters, equipped with counterfeit money detection, will scan for UV (ultraviolet) and MG (magnetic) properties. These bill counters count bills at a speed of hundreds of bills per minute. As the bills are run through the machine, sensors scan the bill for magnetic properties. This is probably the fastest way to check a bill for counterfeit properties.

Is magnetic ink scanning 100% foolproof? While nothing is 100%, magnetic detection is very reliable. Bill bleaching, which can be a problem for some counterfeit detection methods, will typically ruin the magnetic ink properties, rendering the bill useless to counterfeiters.

Considering the reasonable cost of counterfeit bill detectors, with some MG scanners costing less than $30, I recommend investing in a solid machine. The savings in catching a counterfeit bill alone will make up for the cost of the machine.

Our ABC-75, at the time of this article, costs $41 and includes UV (ultraviolet) detection, WM (watermark) detection, MG (magnetic) detction and also includes a magnifying glass. This is a video demo of me using teh ABC-75, including the magnetic ink scanner:

At ABC Office, we offer about 10 different counterfeit detectors (found here), which range from manual operation to automated operation. We also offer almost 2 dozen different bill counters (found here), with about half having counterfeit bill scanning capabilities.

We have over a decade of experience with counterfeit bill detectors, so please feel free to contact us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.

If you’re in the vending machine industry, or collect money from candy, soda or other vending machinery, you probably have to handle and count a lot of money. Trying to count bills and coins manually, especially in the quantities found in vending machines, is difficult to do. Time constraints and errors pretty much make that impossible. What you need is a vending machine coin counter or a vending machine bill counter.

If you are shopping around for a reliable machine for your vending machine business, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself.

How many vending machines are you working with? If you only work with a couple of machines a day, a basic bill counter or coin counter will probably suffice. If you operate more than a half dozen or more machines, you will need a more robust machine or multiple smaller machines to get the job done quickly.

Do you have counterfeit bill issues? Many modern vending machines have built-in counterfeit bill detectors. If you use an older machine, or one that doesn’t incorporate this technology, you may want to consider using a bill counter with counterfeit detection capabilities. Most modern bill counters (equipped with counterfeit detection) have ultraviolet detection (UV), magnetic detection (MG) or both.

What types of coins do your machines handle? Be sure the coin counter or sorter you buy can handle all the denominations your machine handles. Most vending machines take just nickels, dimes and quarters, which most coin counting machines handle. If your machine takes dollar coins, tokens or other denominations, you will want to verify that the machine you are buying can handle those coin types.

Are bills pre-sorted by the vending machine? Most vending machines, that accept bills, keep counted bills in a stack. While some vending machines sort bills, most do not. The majority of bill counters give you a bill count, not a value count. This means if you put in 25 mixed bills, the machine will simply tell you that you have 25 bills. If you need the bill counter to also provide you with a value, you will need what’s known as a bill discriminator.

Now that we have answered a few questions, here are a few machines that I would recommend.

Recommended Coin Counters

• ABC110 Coin Counter & Sorter
• Cassida C200 Coin Counting and Sorting Machine
• Semacon S-120 Coin Counter
• Semacon S-530 Industrial Coin Counter & Sorter

Recommended Bill Counters

• ABC1150 High-Speed Bill Counter
• Cassida 5520 Automatic Currency Counter
• Cassida 6600 Money Counter
• Semacon S-1100 High-Speed Money Counter
• Semacon S-1400 Industrial Bill Counter

We offer a great selection of bill counters, coin sorters and counterfeit detectors that should help keep your vending machine business running efficiently. You can find our entire selection of money handling equipment here. Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 to speak with one of our money handling experts. They can help answer your questions and help you find the right machine for your business.

When shopping around for a bill or currency counter, you want something that is extremely reliable and durable…right? If so, you may not necessarily want to go with the cheapest money counter out there. While this isn’t always the case, you often get what you pay for. One high-quality line of bill counters you may want to use is made by Semacon.

Because Semacon bill counters go through rigorous testing, are made in high-quality manufacturing plants out of Japan and feature one of the best warranties in the industry, they aren’t the cheapest, however, they are considered by many to be the best.

Semacon bill counters go through a rigorous “burn-in” process. This means that bills are run through them to ensure that they will definitely work right out of the box. This is a huge relief for many businesses that need things to work right the first time.

Many Semacon bill counters are also made in Japan, rather than China. While this may not be a big deal for some people, Japanese factories are known for their state-of-the art facilities and excellent quality control. Quality is not sacrificed to make a buck.

While Semacon bill counters are not the cheapest currency counters on the market, they are by far some of the most reliable. If you consider that a cheap bill counter may last a few months to a year, and a Semacon machine will probably last several years, the Semacon money counter ultimately ends up being the best deal.

Semacon also offers one of the best warranties around. Their unconditional warranty includes limitless and free tech support and training (over the phone).

So who uses Semacon currency counting machines? These are just a few of the businesses that have high-volume counting needs that often rely on Semacon.

• Banks
• Credit Unions
• Casinos
• Vending Operators
• Amusement Operators
• Retail Stores
• Restaurants

Here are 5 great Semacon bill counters that you may want to consider using:

• Semacon S-1000 Mini
• Semacon S-1015 Mini w/ UV Detection
• Semacon S-1025 Mini Currency Counter w/ UV and MG Detection
• Semacon S-1100 Series Bill Counters (S-1100, S-1115, S-1125)
• Semacon S-1400 Series Bill Counters (S-1400, S-1415, S-1425, S-1450)

At ABC Office we are currently offering some of the best prices available online for Semacon bill counting machines. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better price. If you do, let us know and we’ll match it!

You can find our entire selection of Semacon money handling equipment here. Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions regarding Semacon bill counters.

If you run, operate or work for a casino, you’re probably around a lot of money on a daily basis. As is the case in any business where money is handled continuously, proper tracking and counting are critical. The best way to keep track of money is by using a money counter, a coin counter or bill counter. These machines quickly and accurately count money.

Here are just a few pieces of equipment your casino may need:

Bill Counters / Money Counters – Bill counters take a stack of money and count it right down to the last bill. These counters are extremely accurate and will provide you with an exact number of bills counted. Most bill counters easily handle both new and used bills and can provide you with size detection, which will help catch counterfeit money. These counters generally have batch counting capabilities. Many of our bill counters include counterfeit money detection (UV – Ultraviolet / MG – Magnetic).

Our most popular brands of bill counters include Semacon, ABC, Cassida, Klopp and Magner. These bill counters are portable, can be used on most tables / desks and are available at an extremely affordable price. A few models you may want to consider include:

• ABC 1150 Bill Counter
• Semacon S-1025
• Cassida Tiger

This is the Cassida Tiger in action:

Coin Counters / Sorters – Coin counters are designed to take your pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollar coins and even tokens a count / sort them. These machines are accurate and are far faster than manually counting. While you may thing a coin counter costs thousands of dollars, most of our coin counting and sorting machines are extremely affordable and cost less than $1,000. More than half of our coin counting machines can bag and tube coins for storage and banking purposes.

Popular brands of coin counters include Cassida, ABC, Klopp, Ribao, Magner and Semacon. Most of our coin counters are portable and most provide you with quantity and value totals. These are a few of our more popular coin counting machines:

• ABC 110 Coin Counter and Sorter
• Magner 915 Coin Counter / Roller
• Semacon S-530 Automated Coin Counter / Sorter

This is a video demo of the ABC 110 coin counter in action:

Counterfeit Detectors – Casinos are particularly vulnerable to counterfeit money, especially with the constant exchange of physical bills. For this reason, every casino should have a counterfeit detector. We offer counterfeit detectors that utilize one method of detection and others that incorporate multiple detection features. The most common methods of detecting counterfeit casino bills include:

• UV (Ultraviolet) – All legitimate U.S. currency has a UV stripe in it that can be lit up and detected by a UV counterfeit detector.
• MG (Magnetic) – Legitimate U.S. bills incorporate magnetic ink that can be picked up by a magnetic counterfeit detector.
• WM (Watermark) – Most U.S. bills feature watermark technology that can be brought to light (excuse the pun) by being backlit. WM detectors make these features clear and obvious.
• Micro Features – Some more manual counterfeit detectors include a magnifying glass that can be used to enhance and display microprint that is present in most U.S. bills.
• Fiber Detection – This is one of the most basic forms of counterfeit detection. Detector pins use special ink that reacts with starch found in regular paper (not found in real U.S. tender).

These are some of our more popular counterfeit detectors:

• ABC-75 Counterfeit Bill Detector
• Cashscan Model 1800 Counterfeit Bill Scanner
• Cashscan Ultrascan 2600 Bill Scanner

This is a video demo of the ABC-75 in action:

Card Canceling Equipment – Most casinos handle face cards. Most reputable casinos will cancel out used decks of cards. Rather than throw these cards away, most casinos will cancel them using a paper punch or drill. Once cancelled, these cards can be re-sold, allowing casinos to make additional money on used cards.

This punch is extremely popular with casinos for canceling cards:

• FP-1 Single Hole Heavy Duty Punch

We also offer a great selection of single-spindle paper drills that will quickly cancel decks of cards. These are a few popular models:

• Lassco Spinnit EBM-S Paper Drill
• MBM 25 Single Spindle Paper Drill

Hopefully these money-handling machines will help your casino with its daily operations. These tips, ideas and machines will undoubtedly save your business money and time. You can find our entire selection of money handling equipment here.

Since we are experts with money handling equipment, coin sorters and counterfeit bill detectors, we are able to provide you with expert advice. Please don’t hesitate to call and speak with one of our experts at 1-800-658-8788. We can help you find the right machine for your job.

When it comes to handling money, counting individual bills by hand simply doesn’t make any sense. Human error alone can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars over a long period of time. It also costs money to pay someone to count money. Most businesses, banks and other organizations, that handle money on a daily basis, use bill counters like the Cassida 85. We recently got a chance to break one out of a box and film a video demo.

Once we had the box in hand we tore into it. We removed the Cassida 85 and it pretty much worked right out of the box. There was no special assembly required. I have used dozens of different bill counters over the years and this one is very similar in setup and operation.

One thing that sets the Cassida 85 apart from much of the competition is the build quality. While a lot of the shell is made from plastic, it is built on a sturdy metal frame and features a lot of metal components. Even the plastic that is used feels and looks to be of a higher grade than what you usually see.

Money can be dirty, and much of it contains trace elements of narcotics, dust and a lot of other stuff you really don’t want to inhale. The Cassida 85 uses an air filtration system that helps keep the air clean while it flies through bills. This is also extremely nice for those of you who suffer from allergies.

Here is a video demo of the Cassida 85 in action:

The Model 85 is available in three different configurations. You can buy it as a standard counter, with ultraviolet counterfeit detection capabilities (Model 85 U) and with magnetic and ultraviolet counterfeit detection (Model 85 UM).

These are all 3 versions of the Cassida 85:

• Standard Cassida 85
• Cassida 85 U (Ultraviolet)
• Cassida 85 UM (Ultraviolet / Magnetic)

With variable speed counting, the Model 85 can count bills at speeds of 900, 1200 and 1500 bills per minute. Compared to the competition, this is screaming fast. It can also batch count and has a huge hopper that can hold up to 1000 new bills or 500 used bills. Few money-counting machines have this kind of capacity.

You can find our entire selection of bill counters here and counterfeit bill detectors here.

Counterfeit money has always been a problem, and as a result, the U.S. government has spent over a decade producing a new $100. This new bill is packed full of useful features, which I will cover in this article. As a result of this new design, many counterfeit detectors will either need to be updated or they will become outdated. Cassida, one of our leading counterfeit detector manufacturers, is prepared for this new shift in currency, as I will also discuss in this article.

The new $100 bill has many features that currently exist in the older bill, however, a few additional things have been added. These are the counterfeit prevention features you will find in the new $100 bill:

• 3-D Security Ribbon – A vertical blue ribbon, which goes through the middle of the bill, will change from bells to 100s as the bill is tilted back and forth. This ribbon is woven into the bill, not printed.
• Bell in the Inkwell – A color-shifting bell, that sits in a copper inkwell, will change from copper to green as the bill is turned.
• Portrait Watermark – A watermark of Benjamin Franklin is located on the right side of the bill. This watermark becomes visible when held in front of light.
• Security Thread – A security thread, currently found on $100 bills, is laid vertically through the bill. This thread can be seen when placed in front of light and will glow under a UV light.
• Color-Shifting 100 – A color-shifting number 100 is located in the bottom right corner of the $100 bill. This number will shift colors as the bill is tilted and moved around.

These are just a few of the most obvious counterfeit detection measures incorporated into the new bill. Many other features, less prominent, are also included. This includes microprinting, raised printing, FW indicators, Federeal Reserve indicators, serial numbers, symbols of freedom (such as phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign the historic document), a large gold 100 on the back of the bill and much more.

As previously mentioned, over a decade of research as gone into making the new $100 counterfeit proof. While the new currency will begin circulating within the next year, older $100 bills will still be considered legal tender. You can read more about the new $100 bill here.

As new bills are released into circulation, older counterfeit detectors become deprecated and useless. Luckily, many manufacturers make their counterfeit detectors upgradeable via a software update. Cassida has updated their entire line of currency counters and counterfeit detectors to handle the new $100 bill in advance.

Cassida, a customer favorite, has been working with the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing since 2010 and completed calibration of all their machines in February 2011. This is a pretty huge advantage if you are in the market for either a counterfeit bill detector or a bill counter with counterfeit detection capabilities.

You can find our entire line of Cassida products here, our entire line of counterfeit bill detectors here and our entire line of bill counters here.

Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions regarding Cassida and the new $100 bill.

Have you ever used one of those “gravity” coin sorters that bounce the coins around and eventually deposit them in the appropriate bin? While these machines are fun to look at, and kids get a kick out of them, you probably need something a little more robust for your coin sorting and counting needs. One new machine that you may want to look at is the Cassida C200 coin counter, sorter and wrapper. This is my review.

Cassida is one of the leading manufacturers of coin counters, sorters, wrappers, bill counters and counterfeit bill detectors. Their products are some of the most affordable available online and continue to offer some of the best customer satisfaction rates I’ve seen in some time. When Cassida products leave our warehouse, we rarely ever hear back with issues.

The Cassida C200 is much like what the C100 used to be before it was re-designed. The C200 essentially consists of a plastic shell, plastic deposit bins, a few electronics (including buttons and a digital display) as well as a powered motor that paddles through the coins. A handle on the top of the machine makes it easy to pick up and move around.

I’ve you’ve been shopping around for a coin counter / sorter online, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of the specifications are based on dimes. There are a few reasons for this. To begin with, dimes are the smallest US denomination in size. This makes the specifications look extra nice. Saying a machine holes 1,000 dimes versus 400 quarters looks nicer.

That being said, the specifications I am going to provide you with are all rated in dimes. The bin, located on the top of the machine, can hold about 2,000 dimes, which is pretty impressive. Each of the coin drawers has a capacity of 900 coins. Compared to other coin sorters and counters, this isn’t bad.

Now that we’ve established that this machine can hold a lot of dimes, I would like to cover the various denominations it can handle. The Cassida C200 can handle pennies ($.01), nickels ($.05), dimes ($.10), quarters ($.25) and dollar coins ($1.00). A Canadian version is available upon request.

The C200 will not only sort coins into separate bins, but it will also provide you with a total value and total quantity. All data is viewable on the included digital LED readout. The green letters are very easy to view and the control panel itself is extremely easy to navigate.

The control panel allows you to flat out count coins, add several groups of coins together or even batch count. These are pretty much all the counting features most people need in a coin counting machine.

One of the coolest features of the Cassida C200 is its ability to also wrap coins in tubes. Simply remove the coin bins and replace them with the included coin tubes. These tubes make it easy to wrap and roll coins in just seconds. A shortcut button allows you to automatically set the C200 up for the appropriate batch counting required to fill up coin rolls. This is really neat.

In conclusion I have to say that the Cassida C200 is a very nice coin counter, sorter and wrapper. It is ideal for businesses, schools, churches and other organizations and can even be used for light to medium-volume bank or credit union coin counting. This machine gets high marks from me.

You can find the Cassida C200 coin counter, sorter and wrapper here and our entire selection of coin counting machines here.

If you have ever worked in a bank or credit union, or have been in a position where you had to deal with checks, you are probably familiar with check certifiers. These devices are used to certify checks as they are cashed or deposited. This process usually involves a rubber stamp, which can be time consuming and sloppy. One great way to improve check-certifying efficiency is by using a machine like the Widmer CC-3 check certifier. This is my review.

Widmer is a well-known manufacturer of paper handling equipment. Products include time stamps, numbering machines, check signers, perforators, time clocks and much more. One thing I have always been impressed with Widmer products is the build quality. They are almost always made out of some sort of heavy-duty cast metal.

The CC-3 check certifier from Widmer is most frequently found in banks, credit unions and in businesses where checks are handled on regular basis. This particular machine is designed to replace traditional handheld rubber stamps. Here are a few reasons why:

• Rubber stamps can be easily lost.
• Handheld check certifiers often produce blurry results.
• Check certification often ends up crooked.
• Rubber stamp check certifiers take time.
• Most rubber stamps can’t produce tri-color impressions.

The CC-3 helps improve on just about all of these points. To begin with, it can easily sit on just about any desk. It only weighs in at 18 pounds, so it is heavy enough to be durable yet light enough to be moved around.

One reason rubber stamp check certifiers produce blurry results is because it is difficult to get the stamp head to hit the paper evenly. The CC-3 evenly applies pressure (electronically) throughout the entire stamping head. All points of the stamp hit the check, producing crisp results. It also uses a self-advancing ribbon, rather than an ink pad, which helps further clarify the text and numbers.

Registration with the CC-3 is straight and accurate every time. It is designed to make repetitive check certification quick and flawless. It incorporates an automatic trip switch that automatically stamps the check once inserted. This process keeps the stamp straight and dramatically improves check certification speeds.

The Widemer CC-3 check certifier can be used with tri-color ribbons for added security. The stamp inself produces a control number and a changeable date. I am including a photo of the check certification stamp in this post.

The overall build quality on the CC-3 is excellent. The heavy cast metal case holds up and the inner components are designed for daily continuous use. The case is secured with a lock and key. If you need to speed up your business’s check certification capabilities, I would definitely recommend the Widmer CC-3.

You can find the Widmer CC-3 check certifier here and our entire selection of money handling products here. Please feel free to call 1-800-658-8788 to speak with one of our customer service representatives with any questions you may have about this machine.

If you’ve handed bills and coins (and who hasn’t), then you are probably well aware of the amount of time it can take. As a kid I remember collecting pennies in a jar only to dump them on the carpet and counting them. Why did I think that was so fun? The process took at least an hour and the accuracy was shoddy at best. Money counters save businesses hundreds and thousands of hours of time.

Modern-day money counters consist of:

• Bill Counters - Quickly count and tally up bills. Counted data usually indicates total bills counted. Many can identify half notes, counterfeit bills, incorrect sizes and more. Most bill counters can batch count.
• Coin Counters – Coin counters quickly take multiple denominations of coins and sort them and count them. Most will provide you with a total quantity and value of coins counted. Many coin counters even include the ability to batch count, roll and bag coins.

These machines will take what usually takes hours and will complete the job in minutes. Not only are money counters fast, but they are also insurmountably more accurate than counting done by humans. If you count bills and coins on a daily basis, you should really consider buying one.

We have many customers that use money counters for counting tickets, coupons, paper and more. Just be sure your money counter can handle the sizes needed for counting.

Now that we have covered the main forms of automatic money counters, you should be aware that many bill counters also include the ability to detect counterfeit bills. This is an especially nice feature for businesses that handle money on a daily basis. If you already own a bill counter, but don’t it doesn’t have counterfeit detection, you may want to consider using a separate counterfeit bill detector.

Counterfeit bill detectors are also nice to have on hand for on-the-spot detection as a transaction occurs. Counterfeit bill detectors come in a wide range of designs and formats. Most bill counters will scan for the following:

Watermarks – Most bill counters have watermark features that can be easily seen when backlit with white light.
Magnetic Ink – Bills utilize magnetic ink that can be detected by equipped counterfeit detectors.
UV Bill Properties – U.S. bills have a line strategically placed that can be lit up with UV light. The position of this line will let you know what the value of the bill is.
Microscopic Features – There are microscopic features built into U.S. currency that can be picked up by a magnifying glass.
Fiber Properties – Legitimate U.S. bills use special fibers that react to specially-formulated counterfeit detection ink (pens).

Learn more about counterfeit bill detection by reading our guide found here. You can find our entire selection of counterfeit bill detectors here.

Hopefully these details will help you out with your money counter purchase. ABC Office has been selling money counters online for well over a decade. We have a lot of experience and can provide you with some much-needed advice. Please don’t hesitate to call one of our money counter specialists at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.

If you have a coin sorter or counter, and like roll your coins, you probably need a coil crimping machine. These machines quickly seal the end of coin tube rolls. If you’re in the market for a machine, or need to speed up operations, consider using the Semacon CM-65 automatic coin crimping machine. This is my review.

Semacon is one of the best-known manufacturers of coin counting machines, sorters and currency counters. Their products have been around for years and have developed a good reputation with customers. It is not uncommon for a Semacon machine to hold up for several years without any special servicing.

So what exactly does a coin-crimping machine do? These machines have a special head that is designed to seal the end of coin roll (aka coin shotgun shell or wrapper). These rolls are typically sturdy enough to hold pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, yet are weak enough to break open if needed.

The Semacon CM-65 is the perfect companion device for just about any coin-rolling machine. It is available in three different versions. This includes a 1 head, 4 head and 6 head version. The heads can easily be removed and replaced with the head that corresponds with the denomination being crimped shut.

The Semacon CM-65 is completely electric. Using it is as easy as using a pencil sharpener and can be completed in three easy steps.

Step 1. Open the hidden storage compartment located under the machine and select the crimping head you need. This should correspond with the denomination of the coin roll you are sealing shut.

Step 2. Hold the roll of coins you need crimped shut against the rotating crimping head.

Step 3. After just a few seconds the coin wrapper will be completely crimped shut and you can move on to the next roll.

This is a quick video of the Semacon CM-65 in action:

Who can use this machine? You will commonly find the Semacon CM-65 in banks, credit unions and in retail stores and businesses that roll coins for storage and distribution purposes.

While this machine may look a little intimidating up front, it is actually extremely safe to use. You can touch the rotating head and it will not pinch or hurt you. It can easily be placed on a desk, and at 20 lbs, is very easy to move around.

The quality of this machine is excellent and it is designed to be used throughout the day. If you handle coin rolls and wrappers on a daily basis, this is definitely a machine you should consider purchasing.

You can find the Semacon CM-65 coin crimping machine here and our entire selection of coin crimping machines here.