Visual counting system

A visual counting system comprising:

• a housing having a bottom member, four sides extending up from said bottom member, and a top member;
• a counting surface mounted within said top member of said housing such that light may be transmitted through the counting surface;
• at least one removable receptacle for receiving and retaining items from said counting surface attached to said top member of said housing and positioned adjacent to at least one side of said counting surface such that items may slide from said counting surface into said receptacle for temporary placement, so that items may be contained within said removable receptacle after said receptacle is removed from said housing;
• an imaging means positioned within said housing, disposed underneath and facing upwardly toward said counting surface for receiving light reflecting off of items disposed on said counting surface;
• an infrared light source positioned within said housing and disposed underneath said counting surface;
• and
• an image processing means operably connected to said imaging means for counting items placed onto said counting surface.