Method for inspecting the surface of coins for contamination, particularly caused by chemical processes, wherein - a coin (1; 1a, 1b) is moved relative to an optical capturing device such that regions of the surface of the coin design are located in the recording region of the capturing device, - during the movement of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected with the optical capturing device along at least one surface region (O; O 1, O 2, O 3) and during this time surface points of the coin design (10; 10a, 10b) are captured in at least two optical wavelength ranges, wherein in each case a profile (P; P 1, P 2, P 3) is set in such a manner for each of the wavelength ranges which represents the reflection in the wavelength range concerned for a number of images following one another temporally, which were made of the coin design (10; 10a, 10b) of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected during its movement, - in advance at least one reference profile (R; R 1, R 2, R 3) of a reference coin is captured and kept available, which is centred such that the middle of the coin design captured in the capture region of the capturing device corresponds to the middle of the created reference profile (R, R 1 R 2, R 3), and which is stretched or compressed such that the width of the captured coin image in the created reference profile (R, R 1 R 2, R 3, R4) corresponds to a predetermined standard width, - the created profile (P; P 1 P 2, P 3) of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected is displaced and stretched or compressed such that the middle of the detected coin design (10; 10a, 10b) of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected is situated in the middle of the created profile (P; P 1, P 2, P 3) and that the width of the captured coin image (10; 10a, 10b) in the created profile (P; P 1, P 2, P 3) corresponds to the predetermined standard width, - the created profile (P; P 1, P 2, P 3) of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected is compared with the at least one reference profile (R; R 1, R 2, R 3, R4) of the reference coin and a consistency value in this respect is determined, and - a contamination is ascertained when the determined consistency value indicates a consistency which undershoots a predetermined threshold value. - a coin (1; 1a, 1b) is moved relative to an optical capturing device such that regions of the surface of the coin design are located in the recording region of the capturing device, - during the movement of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected with the optical capturing device along at least one surface region (O; O 1, O 2, O 3) and during this time surface points of the coin design (10; 10a, 10b) are captured in at least two optical wavelength ranges, wherein in each case a profile (P; P 1, P 2, P 3) is set in such a manner for each of the wavelength ranges which represents the reflection in the wavelength range concerned for a number of images following one another temporally, which were made of the coin design (10; 10a, 10b) of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected during its movement, - in advance at least one reference profile (R; R 1, R 2, R 3) of a reference coin is captured and kept available, which is centred such that the middle of the coin design captured in the capture region of the capturing device corresponds to the middle of the created reference profile (R, R 1 R 2, R 3), and which is stretched or compressed such that the width of the captured coin image in the created reference profile (R, R 1 R 2, R 3, R4) corresponds to a predetermined standard width, - the created profile (P; P 1 P 2, P 3) of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected is displaced and stretched or compressed such that the middle of the detected coin design (10; 10a, 10b) of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected is situated in the middle of the created profile (P; P 1, P 2, P 3) and that the width of the captured coin image (10; 10a, 10b) in the created profile (P; P 1, P 2, P 3) corresponds to the predetermined standard width, - the created profile (P; P 1, P 2, P 3) of the coin (1; 1a, 1b) to be inspected is compared with the at least one reference profile (R; R 1, R 2, R 3, R4) of the reference coin and a consistency value in this respect is determined, and - a contamination is ascertained when the determined consistency value indicates a consistency which undershoots a predetermined threshold value.