On another part of the thread: Here is a response about coin mutilation and the law. Notice that motive is important. The reason must be to commit fraud. An example, hollowing out a silver coin and filling it with a base metal so that the value of the coin is knowingly less than when it was issued, then fraudulently and knowingly circulating it. Another example goes back to years ago when parts of a coin were shaved off for the precious metal and the coin, then underweight would be passed while the person shaving the coin was collecting the precious metal for profit.
In numismatics today, people who fraudulently cut a piece from a coin and then sell it as an incomplete planchet error would be violating the statute.
Coins that are damaged for purposes other than fraud don't fall into this otherwise if you had money that was damaged in a fire for example, they could put you in jail. It's not the intent of the law.
It is not illegal to own a
Magician's coin, for example as they are not advertised to be anything else. If a
Magician's coin is being sold as a "rare error coin", for example that's fraud and subject to a penalty.
Defacing coins for non-fraudulent reasons such as making buttons or
Magician's coins is not the intended target of the law:
United States Code
TITLE 18
PART I
CHAPTER 17
§ 331. Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins
http://assembler.law.cornell.edu/us...---000-.html"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."
Like the statute I previously discussed, prior to 1994 when this law
was amended, the statute read "fined not more than $2,000". This was
changed in 1994 to read "shall be fined under this title" which
effectively gives the court the authority to impose a fine at its
discretion. Of course the imprisonment terms mentioned in the statute
speaks for itself.
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Bill
First Page
Posted 06/01/2008 02:05 am
It hasn't. Then again, that's a totally moot point because the coin itself shows the cause quite clearly--and has been covered already. To me, it appears it was going to be manufactured into a button or fitted with a clip on the reverse.
If this is a legitimate dealer, you should demand a refund.
