Banknotes are taken into a banknote recognition and counting machine (10), a recognition and counting process for the banknotes is performed by a recognition and counting unit (24), judgment for the banknotes is performed by using a first judgment threshold value, based on the recognition result on each banknote recognized by the recognition and counting unit (24), and then the banknotes are fed, selectively, to a stacking unit (26) or reject unit (30), based on the judgment result on each banknote. Then the banknotes, respectively fed to the reject unit (30), are taken again into the banknote recognition and counting machine (10), the recognition and counting process for such banknotes is performed by the recognition and counting unit (24), and then the judgment for the banknotes is performed, by using a second judgment threshold value set smaller than the first judgment threshold value, based on the recognition result on each banknote recognized by the recognition and counting unit (24). Thereafter, information, which relates to the total sum of a count result on the banknotes, respectively judged to be true upon the judgment for the banknotes by using the first judgment threshold value and another count result on the banknotes, respectively judged to be true upon the judgment for the banknotes by using the second judgment threshold value, is output.