Abstract: A high speed coin sorter of the belt type has an elongate plate (8') along which coins (12) to be sorted are carried in single file by a belt (1) which is driven by a pulley (2). A series of coin deflecting recesses (15 to 18) of hockey stick shape are formed in the upper surface (8) of the plate (8'), and in dependence upon the denomination of a coin, as determined by a coin discriminator (10, 11) positioned in advance of the recesses, the coins are selectively deflected from their straight line paths along the surface (8) by respective solenoid-actuated pins (19 to 22), such that a coin is pressed by the belt into the appropriate deflection recess corresponding to that coin denomination. A shaft encoder (4, 6) is associated with the belt drive pulley (2), and the signals from the encoder are used to track the progress of the coins along the surface (8) from the discriminator to provide a timing signal for projecting the appropriate deflection pin.