Abstract: To identify an embossed image of a coin in an automatic coin machine, the coin requiring identification is moved past an image receiver and a light source, the light source having at least two lighting portions which illuminate an object field of the coin requiring identification from different directions under the same angle with respect to the surface normal of the object field and with wavelength ranges which do not overlap each other. An image receiver records one picked-up exposure of the object field from which images are obtained for each of the individual lighting portions of the individual wavelength ranges. A maximum image is then determined from the images, wherein each pixel has associated therewith the maximal intensity value from the images of the individual wavelength ranges. A genuine-coin or counterfeit-coin signal is determined from the maximum image.

Abstract: A process for identifying an embossed image of a coin in an automatic coin tester, in which a coin is moved to an image receiver and a light source, the image receiver picks up at least one image of the embossed image of the coin, and a validation device compares the image to a first reference pattern to find out whether the first reference pattern is contained in the image which was picked-up. If the first reference pattern is contained in the image, the validation device determines whether a second reference pattern is contained in an area the position of which is determined relative to the position of the first reference pattern, the validation device producing a genuine coin or counterfeit coin signal for the coin depending on the coincidence of the image with the reference patterns.

Abstract: To identify an embossed image of a coin in an automatic coin machine, the coin requiring identification is moved past an image receiver and a light source, the light source having at least two lighting portions which illuminate an object field of the coin requiring identification from different directions under the same angle with respect to the surface normal of the object field and with wavelength ranges which do not overlap each other. An image receiver records one picked-up exposure of the object field from which images are obtained for each of the individual lighting portions of the individual wavelength ranges. A maximum image is then determined from the images, wherein each pixel has associated therewith the maximal intensity value from the images of the individual wavelength ranges. A genuine-coin or counterfeit-coin signal is determined from the maximum image.

Abstract: A process for identifying an embossed image of a coin in an automatic coin tester, comprising the process steps below: The coin is moved to an image receiver and a light source, the image receiver picks up at least one image of the embossed image of the coin, an validation device compares the image to a first reference pattern to find out whether the first reference pattern is contained in the image which was picked up, if the first reference pattern is contained in the image the validation device determines whether a second reference pattern is contained in an area the position of which is determined relative to the position of the first reference pattern, the validation device produces a genuine coin or counterfeit coin signal for the coin depending on the coincidence of the image with the reference patterns.