Coin roll opening device

A device for opening a coin roll formed as a stack of coins wrapped in a coin wrapper sheet, said device comprising:

• a base comprising a support surface, the support surface comprising a front end and a back end spaced in a longitudinal direction away from the front end;
• a knife extending along the support surface, the knife comprising an elongate cutting edge defining a maximum depth of cut with respect to the support surface, the cutting edge extending longitudinally away from the front end of the support surface from a front end of the cutting edge to a back end of the cutting edge, the front end of the cutting edge being substantially flush with the support surface, the cutting edge being inclined with respect to the support surface and extending away from the support surface to gradually increase the depth of cut of the cutting edge with respect to the support surface from a first essentially zero depth of cut to a second non-zero depth of cut as the cutting edge extends towards the back end of the cutting edge, the length of the cutting edge and maximum depth of cut sufficient for the cutting edge to cut through the entire radial thickness and entire circumference of the wrapper sheet when the coin roll is rolled on the support surface over the cutting edge;
• the front end of the knife cutting edge being spaced in the longitudinal direction away from the front end of the support surface;
• and
• a gate being disposed between the front end of the support surface of the base and the front end of the knife cutting edge, the gate being movable between a closed position wherein the gate obstructs rolling of the coin roll from the front end of the support surface to the knife cutting edge and an opened position wherein the gate does not obstruct rolling of the coin roll from the front end of the support surface to the knife cutting edge, and a gate drive attached to the gate that moves the gate between opened and closed positions.