SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING CURRENCY NOTE

A currency note identification system comprises a line sensor generating a scanning signal corresponding to the printed pattern on a currency note, an adder for summing picture element signals in the scanning signal from the line sensor for each scanning line, and a detecting circuit for detecting the leading and trailing edges of a printed section of the currency note from the sum signal output of the adder. Printed pattern data for printed patterns at predetermined positions with respect to the leading and trailing edges detected by the detecting circuit are detected, and the similarity of the detected pattern data to standard pattern data is calculated by a calculator. The kind and/or genuineness of the currency note is determined from the similarity obtained from the calculator.