I thought it was illegal...
BigNorange
Posts: 89
to deface u.s. coins. Every state has a stamp and a cent stamped with the state. I'm sure whoever made these made quite a few of them. It was part of a lot I bought at an auction. I go to these estate mostly paintings and pots with the wife and I seem to always buy whatever they have for coins. The rest of the lot had lots of whitman folders about 50 of them and a bunch of great old bank bags some are japanese that I've never seen before.
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every tourist area i goto in NH has a penny press machine.
turns a penny into an oval shape with a neat design.
it cannot possibly be illegal.
I would be guilty, too, remember putting pennies (ok, cents) on train tracks and seeing them flattened out?
Will’sProoflikes
Secondly, those are not Japanese, those are the bags that the Chinese use for
the counterfeit Trade Dollars! Lol
bob
Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."
<< <i>Are hobo nickels defaced? >>
nah!......re-faced!
Proud recipient of two "You Suck" awards
Nobody (very few people, any way) ever seems to know the rules on this, even though the topic comes up regularly.
Yeah, put plenty of coins on the tracks as a kid. No intent to defraud, just intent to derail. Actually, tried to make crude dies sandwiching them between slugs. I guess there is a defraud intent somewhere there.
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<< <i>READ THIS LINK AND LEARN THE FACTS ABOUT "DEFACING" COINS.
Nobody (very few people, any way) ever seems to know the rules on this, even though the topic comes up regularly. >>
So my picture isn't even worth 50 cents. Oh well I wanted the Japanese bags and there chinese
<< <i>I think it is only illegal to deface coins if you have the intent to defraud. >>
If you put commercial advertising, racist, or other objectionable messages on money, that is illegal.
Defacing money is generally NOT illegal. These counter-stamped state-outline cents are perfectly legal.
<< <i>So my picture isn't even worth 50 cents. Oh well I wanted the Japanese bags and there chinese >>
Korean, actually.
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that's the next town over from me (New Bedford)
where was this estate sale? was it in Mass?
<< <i>READ THIS LINK AND LEARN THE FACTS ABOUT "DEFACING" COINS.
Nobody (very few people, any way) ever seems to know the rules on this, even though the topic comes up regularly. >>
That link has misleading information. If you deface a coin, it is still legal tender - so long as the original form is still generally identifiable.
Yeah, put plenty of coins on the tracks as a kid. No intent to defraud, just intent to derail
Steve
1/2 Cents
U.S. Revenue Stamps
<< <i>National Bank of Fairhaven....
that's the next town over from me (New Bedford)
where was this estate sale? was it in Mass? >>
Yes
Here's a token I found in the lot. I'm guessing it's a masonic penny. Having a heck of a time finding anything out about it. 5 hours on google already
Korean!!! I wasn't even close. I think there cool anyway.
<< <i>Yeah, put plenty of coins on the tracks as a kid. No intent to defraud, just intent to derail
<< <i>I think it is only illegal to deface coins if you have the intent to defraud. >>
I don't know. Taking 50 coins worth 50 cents and stamping them with state outlines so you can sell the set for $20 seems like defrauding to me.
<< <i>
<< <i>I think it is only illegal to deface coins if you have the intent to defraud. >>
I don't know. Taking 50 coins worth 50 cents and stamping them with state outlines so you can sell the set for $20 seems like defrauding to me.
........I'll pay you back....Honest....!!!!....
<< <i>They shouldn't exist, but they do... >>
I remember that auction!!
>>>My Collection
<< <i>
<< <i>READ THIS LINK AND LEARN THE FACTS ABOUT "DEFACING" COINS.
Nobody (very few people, any way) ever seems to know the rules on this, even though the topic comes up regularly. >>
That link has misleading information. If you deface a coin, it is still legal tender - so long as the original form is still generally identifiable. >>
You're absolutely right. I went back and re-read what I'd written sometime back and I must have been writing without my coffee that day! I've requested the moderator to replace that text with the text below. Sorry for any misunderstandings.
Many people ask the question:
"Is it illegal to deface coins (e.g. by elongating them, artificially toning them,
putting a hole in them, etc)?"
According to U.S.code Title 18, Chapter 17, Section 331:
<< <i>
Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined
at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation
as money within the United States; or
Whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings
into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified,
scaled, or lightened—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
>>
The answer to the defacement question is: it depends.
Essentially, the key word here is 'fraudulently'. You can legally drive a nail through a coin, paint it ultramarine, melt it, or bend it into a pretzel. If, however, you alter a coin in such a way that you are misrepresenting its monetary value and then attempt to defraud someone using the coin, you're in violation of the law.
The classic example is the "V-nickel scam" frequently mentioned in the coin collecting world. In it, the scammer gold-plates a V-nickel 5 cent piece and goes to buy a product with it (presumably worth less than 5c). The scammer places the coin on the counter saying nothing, hoping the clerk will mistake it for a similarly-sized $5 gold piece. The clerk, who isn't paying attention, is tricked into giving the scammer change for $5 instead of 5c. The scammer intended to defraud the seller, so he's in violation of the law.
If there isn't fraudulent intent, you can deface a coin and use it in commerce or as a curiosity. For example, it's not illegal to crush coins under railroad cars (aside from the RR company land you're trespassing on). Nor is it illegal to put a big scratched-on 'X' through Kennedy's face on a half dollar because you didn't like Kennedy. You can sell altered coins - such as Hobo nickels - and you can spend them as well, provided you don't try and trick someone into thinking they're worth something other than their original face value.
A special note about melting coins: In the past, it was declared illegal to melt silver coinage for the bullion content. This law has since been repealed and it is currently legal to melt silver coinage. In 2007, due to the increasing value of the copper and nickel content in cents and 5 cent pieces, the US mint declared it illegal to melt cents and nickels for their bullion content or to export them in large amounts for that purpose.
Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer and you should only accept legal advice from a licensed attorney.
This article was edited for clarity and accuracy.
Okay to deface but not okay to melt.
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