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.

Are you looking for a coin counting and sorting machine that will allow you to simply dump in a bunch of coins and let it do the rest? If so, you may want to consider a machine like the ABC440 coin counting and sorting machine. This machine is simple to use, fast in operation and I have personally used it on many occasions. I had the opportunity to help shoot a video demo of this coin counter.

To begin with, I have to say that my initial impressions were pretty high. At first glance, you might think that you’re dealing with an Accubanker AB410. Other than the lower price of the ABC440, they are pretty much the same machine. I would have to say that I would rate the ABC440 for light to medium-volume use.

You can place up to 300 coins in the hopper of this machine. It will quickly sort through those coins at a speed of up to 600 coins a minute. Supported denominations include pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollar coins. The digital display will give you a running total of total coins counted or dollar value of coins counted.

Here is the actual video demo we shot of the ABC440. While it is a few years old, you will certainly get a good idea as to how it works.

So there you have it! The ABC440, especially for the low price, is a great value. It is affordable, portable, durable and best of all it’s accurate. You can find the ABC440 automatic electric coin counter and sorter here. You can find our entire selection of coin counters and sorters here.

Counting coins by hand, as you might imagine, can take a lot of time. If you’re like me, it will probably take a couple of attempts as well. Speed and error issues makes manual coin counting extremely inefficient. Coin counting machines, like the ABC110 coin counter & sorter, makes counting quick and accurate. I have personally used the ABC110 on several of occasions and have to say that I’m impressed.

I remember as a child getting a coin sorter for Christmas. Yes, I actually asked for one. It wasn’t an electric coin sorter, but rather a gravity coin sorter. You put the coin at the top of the sorter and watched it make its way down, bouncing back and forth until it ultimately dropped into the correct bin. While fun, this isn’t an efficient way to sort or count coins. Unfortunately, many of the coin counters and sorters you find at local department stores operate in a similar way and are simply not meant for commercial use.

The ABC110 means business. The hopper along can hold up to 1,600 dimes. If you have a drawer, a bag or a jar of coins, just dump them into the top and turn the machine on. It will begin to quickly and efficiently count and sort coins. The ABC110 is packed with features, and all for an affordable low price.

You can view a video demo of the ABC110 coin counter and sorter here:

This coin counter is a great example of a cost effective machine that will save you both time and money. You can find the ABC110 coin counter & sorter here and our entire selection of coin counters here.

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.

Finding a good coin counting machine can be a bit of a chore. There is a lot of stuff out there, ranging from toys to bank-quality stuff. So how do you find a machine that will do what YOU need to do? Here are a few common questions that you will want to ask yourself. These questions should help you narrow down what you need.

To begin with, a lot of coin counters and sorters out there are basically toys. I was in the local department store chain near where I live and I passed by the office supplies isle. I noticed that they were offering several different coin counting machines. I couldn’t help but crack a smile when I saw what they were. They were basically $20 & $50 dollar toys being sold as “office” coin counters.

I find that buying an inadequate coin counting machine is one of the biggest complaints I find among our customers. There are few things worse than buying a machine only to find out it won’t do what you need.

So here you go, great coin counting questions to ask prior to purchasing a machine.

What Types Of Coins Will You Be Counting?

• If counting U.S. Currency, will you only be counting pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters? If so, most coin counters will work for you. If you will be counting dollar coins or tokens, you may have to check and see if this is a possibility. Machines do exist, however, that will handle tokens and dollar coins. Some machines are also designed to handle Canadian currencies, including Loonies and Toonies.

How Many Coins Do You Need To Count Per Day?

• Coin counters are typically rated on speed, usually coins per minute. The higher the speed rating, the more coins you will be able to count in a day. If you only need to count coins every so often, a lower speed rated coin counter should be fine.

Where Will You Be Using Your Machine?

• We try to provide dimensions with all our machines. Be sure you have adequate room. Most of our machines are fairly compact, but sometimes pictures can make something look smaller than it really is.

Do You Also Need To Sort?

• Most coin counters sort, but not all coin sorters count. If you need sorting and counting capabilities, be sure to verify that the machine can do that prior to making a purchase.

Do You Need To Roll Coins?

• Many people that count and sort coins also need to roll them. Many, but not all machines, have coin rolling attachments. These funnel-like attachments make it easy to put coins in coin tubes, sometimes called shotgun shell tubes. Be sure that the coin counter you want can roll coins (if needed).

These are some of the most important questions you will want to ask prior to making a purchase. If you are still unsure, or would like more advice, feel free to call our Service Department at 1-800-658-8788 x129.

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

Coin sorting machines are an invaluable tool for retail stores, banks and other businesses. These valuable machines save hours of time and are several times more accurate than manually counting money. If you are in the market for a coin sorter, one model you should seriously consider is the Semacon S-520 heavy-duty coin sorter. I have used this machine and this is my review.

Semacon is one of the leading manufacturers of coin counters, sorters and bill counters. While some Semacon machines are more of an up front investment, the build quality far exceeds most of the competition. Rather than being made in China, most Semacon machines are made in Japan under high quality management.

The Semacon S-520 is one of Semacon’s highest-end coin counters and sorters.  It is one of the few coin counters and sorters to feature a full metal chassis. It is designed for continuous, daily use and can be used in small banks, retail stores and other businesses that handle change on a daily basis. Not only does the S-520 sort coins, it also counts them for you.

Simply pour your coins into the S-520 (up to 500 at a time) and it will begin sorting and counting the coins. These coins are then deposited into large containers, separating pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollar coins (150 pennies, 80 nickels, 250 dimes, 200 quarters, 80 dollars).

The coin containers slide out, making sorted and counted money easy to access. You don’t have to use the sorting containers with the S-520. You can alternatively use bagging, packaging and wrapping attachments.

The digital readout is large and very clear. It will give you a running total of coins and dollar value. You can also choose to see the total of an individual coin. If you want to see just the nickels, you can have the machine show you the total quantity and value of the nickels. I love this ability.

The Semacon S-520 includes a power adapter, a dust cover, a cleaning brush and an operating manual. It comes with everything you need to get up and running. The machine itself weighs in at 14 pounds, allowing it to be used on desks, tables and counters.

The Semacon S-520 also features a wide variety of batch counting options. This enables the operator to select batch stop settings for each denomination separately or for all denominations together.

Are you Canadian? The Semacon S-520 can be ordered in a Canadian format to handle all Canadian coin denominations, including Toonies and Loonies. Just call us up at 1-800-658-8788 to get a quote.

Overall I really like the S-520. While I don’t have long-term use with it, my initial impressions are pretty high. I do know for a fact that Semacon machines have few customer service issues and we rarely ever hear back from a customer with issues.

You can find the Semacon S-520 heavy duty coin sorter here. You can find all our coin sorters here and our coin counters here.