Coin dispensing apparatus

An optical sensor for detecting the passage of a coin comprising:

• a first detection device for producing and detecting a first beam crossing a coin path in the absence of a coin, and a second detection device for producing and detecting a second beam reflected from a coin in said coin path, wherein the first and second detection devices share a light source and employ respective optical detectors;
• and
• a light source prism arranged so that some light from the light source enters the light source prism and is directed thereby obliquely across the coin path, for use in the second detection device, and some light from the light source passes by the light source prism and passes substantially perpendicularly across the coin path, for use in the first detection device.

An optical sensor for detecting the passage of a coin comprising:

• a first detection device for producing and detecting a first beam crossing a coin path in the absence of a coin;
• a second detection device for producing and detecting a second beam reflected from a coin in said coin path;
• a member through which the coin path passes, wherein the member comprises a first prism partially aligned with a light source for redirecting some light from the light source obliquely into the coin path, a second prism for capturing light from the first prism and reflected from a coin in the coin path and redirecting the captured light onto a first light detector, and a third prism for returning light from the light source, which has not been redirected by the first prism, back across the coin path to a second light detector.