3 ms·
Isn't it illegal to purposely destroy legal tender?
by budu3 18y ago
Isn't it illegal to purposely destroy legal tender?
- jonknee 18y agoI think the sun will be able to defend itself.
- jrockway 18y agoYeah, probably. They did it anyway, though, because it was fun (and who's going to miss those pennies, anyway).
- mhb 18y agoIn general, no. Unless you do it with fraudulent intent: Title 18 United States Code, Section 331 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. For an interesting explanation of why it is now illegal to melt pennies and nickels see: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/31/080331fa_fact_owen?currentPage=1 http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/31/080331fa_fact_...
- superchink 18y agoGreat article. Thanks for that!
- ojbyrne 18y agoI wonder if you can do this legally outside the US. I'm sure there's plenty of tourists with bags of US change that they can't easily take to the bank. Seems like it might be a loophole worth exploiting.
- deleted 18y ago[deleted]