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 . <EOS>