Method and apparatus for discriminating and counting documents

A currency identification system comprises at least two scanheads positioned so as to permit scanning of a bill along at least two segments on a first side of said bill, said first-side scanheads being capable of detecting characteristic information from said bill along said segments and generating corresponding output signals representing variations in the detected characteristic information from which scanned patterns of characteristic information may be generated, at least two of said scanheads being laterally displaced relative to one another, means for generating at least one scan pattern from said output signals, said at least one scanned pattern representing analog variations in said characteristic information along a segment of said bill, a memory for storing at least one master pattern associated which each genuine bill which the system is capable of identifying, said at least one master pattern representing analog variations in characteristic information along a segment of an associated genuine bill, and a signal process means for performing a pattern comparison.