Universal device to determine the name and validate banknotes.

Apparatus for providing an indication of a note type associated with a note sensed by said apparatus comprising: a radiation source on a first side of said note (30), wherein said radiation source directs radiation to a point test (34) of said ticket; a first detector (20) on the first side of said note, wherein said first detector sends a first signal in response to radiation reflected from said test spot to said first detector; a second detector (22) on a second opposite side of said note, wherein said second sensor sends a second signal responsive to radiation transmitted through said test spot to said second detector; a circuit (24) in operative connection with a data memory (26), wherein said circuit is operative to activate said radiation source and to generate reflectance values ​​and transmission in response to said first and second signals respectively, wherein said circuit is operative to calculate at least one value representative of a level of correlation between said reflectance values ​​and transmission values ​​stored in said memory corresponding to the transmission properties and adjacent reflection to said test point data for each a plurality of known note types.