Winning the fight against counterfeiters
COVER is an electronic coin recogniser and smart card interface, designed for coin-operated systems. It is capable of performing several different tests on coins, such as measuring their size, weight, resonance and magnetic characteristics. The magnetic tests are able to detect three different types of alloys in the coins, either in concentric rings or sandwiched one above the other. In combination with the resonance test, this makes for a device that can accurately identify even highly sophisticated counterfeit coins (and represents a type of technology which might be utilized for any number of other industrial tasks involving sensing). Moreover, the device is reliable and easy to manufacture, maintain and calibrate. Hence, its installation in coin-operated machines ought to be cost effective; unlike, one supposes, the future manufacture of counterfeit coins. It is to be hoped, therefore, that such criminal activity will be eradicated in any country where the COVER device is widely employed.