If it is illegal ..........

[rd_ab_penman]

To deface US and Canadian coins and paper currency why do a lot of people do it anyways?

I have never heard of anyone being charged or prosecuted other than for counterfeiting.

"Canada: Section 11(1) of the Currency Act states that "no person shall, except in accordance with a license granted by the Minister [Minister of Finance], melt down, break up or use otherwise than as currency any coin that is current and legal tender in Canada." Furthermore, Section 456 of the Criminal Code of Canada makes it a criminal offense to deface circulation coins: "Every one who: (a)defaces a current coin, or (b)utters a current coin that has been defaced, is guilty of an offense punishable on summary conviction." The offense is not dependent on fraudulent intent."
-Royal Canadian Mint


"The United States Codes under Title 18, Chapter 17, and Section 331, "prohibits the mutilation, diminution and falsification of United States coinage." However, it has been the opinion of some individual officers at the Treasury Department, though without any indication of approval, the foregoing statute does not prohibit the mutiliation of coins if done without fraudulent intent or if the mutilated coins are not used fraudulently."

Les

 

[StephenM]

Look at the machines you see at every amusement park, zoo, etc. Put 51 cents in and it keeps the 50 cents and runs the penny through a die that stretches and imprints a logo, picture, etc.

 

[Simplex]

Just one of those laws that is on the books but never enforced...

 

[Steve Busey]

Probably a broadly stated law, so it covers the crooks who try to change a 10 into a 100. I can't imagine they'll come after you for cutting a $1 bill into pieces as long as you're not trying to make it into an $11 dollar bill! :tongue:

 

[CREID]

Look at the machines you see at every amusement park, zoo, etc. Put 51 cents in and it keeps the 50 cents and runs the penny through a die that stretches and imprints a logo, picture, etc.

and just think we did that for free when we were kids by putting them on the railroad tracks.
Curt

 

[Akula]

Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who 'fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States. This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the U.S. Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent. (Source U.S. Mint)