A currency validation, CVAL, device, comprising: an illumination subsystem having multiple light sources and optics for illuminating items in a field of view, each of the light sources having a different spectral profile; an imaging subsystem having an image sensor and optics for capturing digital images of items in the field of view while illuminated by the illumination subsystem, the captured digital images comprising at least one of reflected and luminescent images; and a processor communicatively coupled to the illumination subsystem and the imaging subsystem, wherein the processor is configured by software to: capture one or more images of the field of view of the CVAL device; and change the mode of operation of the CVAL device from an indicia reading mode to a CVAL mode when a barcode is not detected in the one or more captured images, wherein in the CVAL mode, the CVAL device is configured to: repeatedly activate one or more of the light sources in the illumination subsystem to illuminate a currency item in the field of view with illumination flashes of different spectral profiles, capture at least one reflected and/or luminescent digital image of the illuminated currency item for each illumination flash to obtain a plurality of digital images of the currency item, and process the plurality of digital images to validate the currency item. an illumination subsystem having multiple light sources and optics for illuminating items in a field of view, each of the light sources having a different spectral profile; an imaging subsystem having an image sensor and optics for capturing digital images of items in the field of view while illuminated by the illumination subsystem, the captured digital images comprising at least one of reflected and luminescent images; and a processor communicatively coupled to the illumination subsystem and the imaging subsystem, wherein the processor is configured by software to: capture one or more images of the field of view of the CVAL device; and change the mode of operation of the CVAL device from an indicia reading mode to a CVAL mode when a barcode is not detected in the one or more captured images, wherein in the CVAL mode, the CVAL device is configured to: repeatedly activate one or more of the light sources in the illumination subsystem to illuminate a currency item in the field of view with illumination flashes of different spectral profiles, capture at least one reflected and/or luminescent digital image of the illuminated currency item for each illumination flash to obtain a plurality of digital images of the currency item, and process the plurality of digital images to validate the currency item. capture one or more images of the field of view of the CVAL device; and change the mode of operation of the CVAL device from an indicia reading mode to a CVAL mode when a barcode is not detected in the one or more captured images, wherein in the CVAL mode, the CVAL device is configured to: repeatedly activate one or more of the light sources in the illumination subsystem to illuminate a currency item in the field of view with illumination flashes of different spectral profiles, capture at least one reflected and/or luminescent digital image of the illuminated currency item for each illumination flash to obtain a plurality of digital images of the currency item, and process the plurality of digital images to validate the currency item. repeatedly activate one or more of the light sources in the illumination subsystem to illuminate a currency item in the field of view with illumination flashes of different spectral profiles, capture at least one reflected and/or luminescent digital image of the illuminated currency item for each illumination flash to obtain a plurality of digital images of the currency item, and process the plurality of digital images to validate the currency item.