In a coin sensing station, coins pass edgewise along a passageway (10) through a transparent block (9) and interrupt three optical sensing beams (34, 37, 38) that transverse the passageway at spaced locations. The beams are produced by light emitting diodes (18, 19) which direct light into the block (9) where it is directed by reflection from inclined surfaces (29, 32, 36, 40, 33, 28) integrally moulded into the block. Beam splitters (32, 33) direct part of the beams (30, 31) as beams (34, 38), across the passageway and the remainder forms beam (37).