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 As a result of this new design, many counterfeit detectors will either need to be updated or they will become outdated.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.

Coin counters and sorters could potentially be some of the most time-saving products available. Have you ever tried counting a jar of coins by hand? It is slow, boring and riddled with errors. Coin counters can sort and count coins in just minutes, sometimes seconds. Having used coin counters for years, I have a few suggestions on what you may want to look for in a machine.

To begin with, you’ll want to find a good reliable brand. Coin counter brands that I have found to be reliable include Cassida, Magner, Ribao, Klopp and Semacon. I have used coin counters and sorters from all 5 of these manufacturers and they have always proven to be reliable products.

The next thing you’ll need in a coin counter are some specific features. Here are some of the most common features available.

Coin Sorting – A coin counter should be able to sort coins as well, right? That is true, but different coin counters sort coins in different ways. Some machines are able to sort all coins at once, such as the ABC110, where others sort just one denomination at a time, such as the Ribao CS-10. Machines that only sort one denomination at a time are usually designed that way for bagging and coin rolling purposes.

Batch Counting – Do you need to be able to count a specific number of a specific denomination of coin? This is pretty important for coin rolling purposes. If you need a coin roll of $10 in quarters, you’re going to want to set up the batch counting for 40 coins. Make sense?

Continuous Counting – Continuous counting is nice if you are counting a lot of coins in one fell swoop. An example of this would be counting two jars of coins, but using a machine that can only handle one jar of coins at a time. You would place the first jar in the machine, and once finished, pour the second jar of coins into the machine. With continuous counting, the machine will be able to tell you the total number of coins and dollar value of coins for both jars.

Denominations – Be sure the machine you are using can handle the needed coin denominations. Most of our coin counters and sorters can handle pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. Some are also able to handle dollar coins, tokens and even Canadian denominations such as Toonies and Loonies. Most machines will state under the specifications what they can handle. Many can be custom built to handle the coins you deal with on a daily basis.

Tubing / Bagging – Many people like to tube or bag coins for storage purposes. This may be a bank, a credit union or even a grocery store. Many of our coin counters have optional coin tubing and bagging attachments.

Speed – If you’re an individual or a small business, speed may not be an issue. If you are a bank or a retail store, counting speeds may be critical. Our coin counters are rated by coins counted per minute. The Semacon S-520, for example, can count and sort up to 450 coins per minute.

Portability – This is a tough call. While you may want your coin counter to be portable, you often loose counting capacity with portability. You’ll need to determine how much counting capacity and portability you need in your machine before making a choice. If your machine will always sit on the same counter or table, portability probably won’t matter.

You can see a video demo of a coin counter in action here:

I hope these tips and suggestions help you in your quest to find a reliable coin counting machine. If you still have questions, and many of you will, please feel free to contact one of our money handling specialists by calling 1-800-658-8788. I work with these people and can attest to the fact that they are knowledgeable, courteous and won’t pressure you into buying something you don’t need.

You can find our entire selection of coin counters and sorters here.

Precision, accuracy and reliability are all features you expect to find in a bill counter. You don’t want to have to deal with jams, breakdowns and other issues. You need a reliable machine. One bill counter we have come to find as reliable and dependable is the Cassida 5520 bill counter. This is my review.

Cassida currently makes several different bill counters, coin counters and counterfeit bill detectors. Cassida, along with other reputable manufacturers like Magner and Semacon, have developed a great reputation with customers and dealers. Many of Cassida’s bill counters include built-in counterfeit detection capabilities.

The Cassida 5520 is available in a UV (ultraviolet) and a UV / MG (ultraviolet & magnetic) version. The UV and MG capabilities are designed to scan bills for counterfeit properties while simultaneously counting them. The process literally takes milliseconds and the process is flawless. It is very impressive to see just how accurate this bill counter is.

This should give you an idea as to just how fast this bill counter operates. It runs at a speed of 1,300 bills per minute, which equals 21.6 bills a second. Considering the average human counts bills at a speed of about 1-3 bills per minute, this is a dramatic improvement. I can also tell you that this bill counter is leaps and bounds more accurate than a human.

The Cassida 5520 has a hopper capacity of 200 new bills, which usually equals about 100 used bills. As soon as the bills are counted, they can be removed and more bills added.

This bill counter features a few different counting methods. One is to count the bills and then reset as soon as another stack is added and the second method is to keep a continuous total of bills counted (until reset). Total numbers are easy to see in red on the built-in digital display. At the moment, the 5520 even comes with a remote display that can be plugged into the bill counter.

The Cassida 5520 also offers the option of batch counting, which means you can tell it to count 20 bills (your choice) and then stop. Once the bills are removed it will count another 20 bills. This is ideal for bundling bills in specific quantities (great for banks).

One downside is that this bill counter will not sort the bills. Few (less than 5%) machines are capable of sorting bills. If you need a bill counter that can also sort bills, you will need what’s known as a bill discriminator.

Not only does the 5520 count bills, but it can also be used to count checks, coupons and tickets. It can also be used to count foreign currencies. The only caveat is that the material being counted has to fit within 2″ x 4″ to 4″ x 7-1/3″ sizes.

Overall I have to say that the Cassida 5520 is a solid machine. It is portable, accurate and the build quality is great. It even includes a build in handle for added portability.

You can find the Cassida 5520 bill counter here and our entire selection of bill counters here.

There are few things that can drop your spirits faster than discovering you’ve been duped by a fake bill.  Let’s face it, counterfeiters are getting better. Fake bills are harder to tell apart and methods that used to detect bills 10+ years ago aren’t catching everything. If you run or operate a business, you probably need a counterfeit bill detector. One solid model you should consider using is the Cassida 2200 counterfeit bill detector & scanner. This is my review.

Cassida is well versed in money handling. They currently manufacture several different models of bill counters and coin counters. It should come as no surprise, with their years of experience, that Cassida would also make several reliable counterfeit detectors.

The Cassida 2200 counterfeit bill detector is designed for low to medium-volume use. While manual effort is involved to use the 2200, built-in technology cuts down on human error. When used correctly, the Cassida 2200 should catch just about any counterfeit bill out there.

The Model 2200 utilizes several different detection technologies. This includes infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), watermark (WM) and magnetic (MG) detection technologies. With the ability to combine all these different technologies, counterfeit bills don’t stand a chance.

The Cassida 2200 has a relatively small footprint, allowing it to be used at most desks and workstations. It only weighs in at 3 pounds, allowing it to be easily moved from one place to another.

The control interface on the Model 2200 is extremely easy to use and very little training is required to use this machine. Once it is up and running, it shouldn’t take more than a minute (at most) to determine a bill’s authenticity.

Using the Cassida 2200 is easy. Simply place a bill on the work surface. Once in place, a bill can be scanned using infrared detection technology. An IR image of the bill is sent to the build in monitor, highlighting the bill’s characteristics. This makes it easy to quickly point out counterfeit bills at a glance. Few modern counterfeit detectors feature infrared scanning technology.

As previously mentioned, the 2200 also has IR and WM technology. If you’re not satisfied with the IR scan, you can scan the bill for fluorescent UV marks and watermark properties. The UV and WM detectors are also great for checking the validity of checks, credit cards, ID card and more. UV scanning is done by a black light under the hood of the 2200 and the WM backlight is located on the base of the 2200.

The Cassida 2200 can also scan the magnetic ink properties of bills. This is done by rubbing the bill on a magnetic ink scanner located on the base of the 2200.

Overall the Cassida 2200 is very thorough. It implements the latest in counterfeit technology and is a must-have machine for low to medium-volume bill scanning. I feel confident in recommending this machine for use in most retail environments.

You can find the Cassida 2200 counterfeit bill detector & scanner here and our entire selection of counterfeit bill detectors here.

Feel free to speak with one of our counterfeit bill detection experts by calling toll-free at 1-800-658-8788. They should be able to answer any questions you may have.

If you run, own or work for a business that handles money on a regular basis, you probably have the need for a reliable and affordable coin counter. With so many models out there, you may be a little overwhelmed. One great machine for low to medium-volume use is the Cassida C100 coin counter & sorter. I have used this machine and this is my review.

There are a lot of garbage coin counters out there. Most of these coin counters are sold for a “great deal” at department stores around the U.S. While these coin counters may be a “great deal,” they typically fall apart in a few months (if you’re lucky enough to get them working at all). The coin counters offered at ABC Office are designed for business use, not hobby use.

Cassida is probably one of the top bill counter manufacturers around. While Cassida is best known for their line of bill counters, they also make a couple of reliable coin counters and sorters.

The Cassida C100 is both a coin counter and sorter, all in one machine. I’ll start off with the sorting capabilities. You will notice in the picture that the C100 has separate trays for each denomination. This makes it possible for the C100 to separate coins and place them in their own respective containers. Included coin tubes make coin wrapping very easy. The C100 will automatically stop and notify you when the bank roll is full.

The bin on top of the C100 can hold up to 1600 coins. While not terribly common with coin sorters, the C100 can sort $1 coins. It can specifically count and sort 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢ and $1 coins. This versatility allows the C100 to handle just about everything in the U.S. market. The C100 is also available in a Canadian version for Canadian denominations.

Not only does the C100 sort coins, but it can also count them. It does this by adding the total quantity of coins. It will provide you with a grand total of coins or a denomination total of coins. The large display will even provide you with the total counted value.

The C100 can also batch count coins (0 to 500). Batch counting can be specifically set for individual denominations. This is especially nice for wrapping coins.

Having used the Cassida C100 myself, I can personally vouch for the easy-of-use. It literally takes a minute or two to get this machine up and running. From my own experience, I can say that the C100 is very accurate. I have run and re-run coins through this machine with accurate results every time.

I feel safe in recommending the Cassida C100 for light to moderate use. I would not recommend it for high-volume use. It operates at a speed of about 250 coins a minute.

You can find the Cassida C100 coin counter & sorter here and our entire selection of coin counting machines here.

A currency counter should be precise, easy-to-use and durable. It should save you money and time by simplifying counting operations. One great machine that can help you with your bill, money and currency counting needs is the Cassida Model 85 currency counter. This is my review.

Cassida is one of the best-known manufacturers of currency counters. They currently manufacture about a dozen different products. This includes currency counters, counterfeit detectors and coin counters.

The Cassida 85 is one of the newest additions to the Cassida lineup. It is available in a base model, a UV (ultraviolet) model and a UV / MG (ultraviolet / magnetic) model. The UV and UV / MG models have counterfeit detection. These models are the Model 85, Model 85 U and Model 85 UM.

The Cassida 85 is a variable speed currency counter. The motor can be adjusted to 3 different settings. This includes 800, 1200 and 1500 bills per minute. This is ideal when counting bills, tickets, paper, checks and other material.

Unlike many currency counters out there, the Cassida 85 has very impressive capacity specs. It has a 1,000 bill hopper capacity and a 300 bill stacker capacity (new bills). Most bill counters are limited to 100.

Not only does the Cassida 85 count bills, it can count bills in a variety of different ways. It can provide you with a running total of bills counted and can batch count bills. Batch counting is great if you are a bank or a retail environment that needs to group or store bills in specific quantities.

The control panel on the Cassida 85 is very easy to use. The buttons are large (for those of us that have fat fingers) and easy to read. The display on the Cassida is large and easy to view.

The Cassida 85 is available with a few different options. You can get it with an optional dust collector or an optional remote customer display.

I feel safe in categorizing the Cassida 85 as a commercial quality machine. It is tough, definitely designed for daily use and is accurate. This is great for banks, retail stores and many other organizations.

You can find the Cassida Model 85 currency counter here and our entire selection of Cassida bill counters here. You can find our entire selection of bill counters here. This includes models from Cassida, Semacon, Ribao, Magner, ABC, Klopp any many more.

Feel free to call us up at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions regarding bill counters. We are more than happy to help.

If you’re looking for a bill counter that can handle Canadian currency, you’re in luck! At ABC Office, we offer a wide selection of bill counters that can count Canadian bills in seconds. Simply take your stack of bills, place them in one of these machines and the rest is pretty much automated.

A question we often get here at ABC Office is, “Do you guys ship to Canada?”  You bet we do. We have many Canadian customers and love doing business with our Canadian neighbors.

Having worked with many customers over the past several years, I have received a lot of feedback on the bill counters we offer. I have taken this feedback and have come up with a list of bill counters that will quickly, accurately and dependably count Canadian money. Without further ado, here is my list!

Top 5 Best Canadian Bill Counters

1. ABC 1150 Bill Counter – Great price, reliability and years of positive feedback.
2. Cassida Tiger Bill Counter – Sleek design, ultra-fast and compact.
3. Semacon S-1000 Mini Bill Counter – Extremely compact, fast and feature rich.
4. Manger Model 20 Bill Counter – Time-tested favorite with many customers.
5. Semacon S-1100 Bill Counter – Made in Japan with extreme quality control. Very reliable.

Be aware that these bill counters only give you the total number of bills, not the total dollar value of the bills.

So there you have it. Our list of excellent Canadian bill counters. Do you still have questions about these? Feel free to call us and speak with one of our money counting experts at 1-800-658-8788.

You can find our entire selection of bill counters here.

Are you looking for a no-nonsense counterfeit bill detector that is easy to use and won’t suffer from false-positive detection? One counterfeit detector you may want to consider using is the Cassida 3300 counterfeit bill detector. This is my review.

Cassida is a well-known manufacturer of bill and coin counting machines. They also make a variety of different counterfeit detectors. The Cassida 3300 is the most advanced counterfeit detector that Cassida makes.

The Cassida 3300 counterfeit detector is very similar in look and operation to the Cashscan detectors. The concept and design is simple. Simply feed the bill into one end of the detector, the bill gets scanned and it comes out the other end. The machine will then let you know if the bill is legitimate or not. The first time I used it I was reminded of the bill acceptor found on a vending machine.

This counterfeit detector is pretty much fool proof. It scans for ultraviolet (UV) and magnetic (MG) properties build into legitimate currency. To date these traits have not been counterfeited. Thanks to this scanning ability, it is considered to be one of the most reliable counterfeit detectors available today. It can even be used to detect counterfeit super bills and any washed counterfeits.

This particular machine requires no special training or setup to use. An LCD screen on the top of the machine will let you know if the bill is legitimate and will also display the bill’s monetary value. You can even use this as a bill counter as it will keep track of the combined dollar value of bills scanned.

Because the Cassida 3300 is so compact, it can be used just about anywhere. Place it on a table or next to a cash register. The footprint only takes up a few square inches. It is designed to work with a 110/220 VAC power source.

One question I get asked by a lot of customers is whether or not it can only be used with US dollars. The answer to that is no. It can be setup and configured for use with Canadian dollars, Euros, British pounds and Japanese yen. Simply select the currency type from the front panel.

My overall impression with this bill counter is excellent. It is so simple to use and foolproof. Many counterfeit detectors leave room open for error and can potentially be misread. The Cassida 3300 is compact, small, clear and precise.

You can find the Cassida 3300 counterfeit bill detector here. You can find our entire selection of counterfeit bill detectors here.