The invention relates to a coin identifying or discriminating device and method, especially relating to the discrimination of the true coins from the false coins. The method vertically slides the tested coin along a guiding groove down onto a substrate, collects a sound signal emitted by the coin as striking the substrate through sound sensor, directly sends the sound signal or sends the sound signal amplified by a power amplifier to a frequency spectrum analyzing device for making frequency spectrum analysis so as to obtain an inherent frequency of the tested coin, and compares the inherent frequency with a standard data in a frequency spectrum standard memory for making frequency spectrum discrimination; then uses a pressure sensor to measure the weight of the tested coin and sends the generated force signal amplified by a power amplifier into a weight analyzing device and calculates to obtain the weight of the tested coin and compares it with a standard data in a weight standard memory for making weight discrimination; then by an operational policy maker, synthetically analyzes and obtains the final discrimination result. The discriminating device has simple structure, lower manufacturing cost, and high identifying accuracy, applied to identification of various coins and having a wide application prospect.