Anyone know "Buffalo Boy" ?

I thought money was federal property and it actually is against the law to deface them? I could be wrong, just something I always thought I remembered hearing as a youngster?

 

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I was under that same impression. I have always questioned it though when you see those souvenir penny rollers at tourist traps.

 

If you trust the mint website:

18 U.S.C. §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. (Emphasis added.)

"Is it illegal to damage or deface coins?
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. "

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Coins/Pages/edu_faq_coins_portraits.aspx

 

However, the red marker can easily be removed will alcohol. As understand it mutilation of a coin is when the coin is damage beyond repair, as in scratched, chipped, chopped, etc.

The worst mutilation I see is rolled cents done by machines at amusement parks. Is that legal?

 

Elongated coins are legal ( same area) ~altered, unless you say an elongated cent is really a 10 cent coin. Advertising on money is a more hazy issue. "Where's George" site had some trouble

"In April 2000, the site was investigated by the United States Secret Service, which informed Eskin that the selling of "Where's George?" rubber stamps on the web site is considered "advertising" on United States currency, which is illegal under 18 U.S.C. § 475.[14] The site's administrators immediately ceased selling the rubber stamps; no further action against the site was taken.[2] At least one spokesperson for the US Secret Service has pointed out in print that marking US bills, even if not defacement, can still be illegal if it falls under "advertisement".[15] However, a Secret Service spokesman in Seattle, Washington, told The Seattle Times in 2004: "Quite frankly, we wouldn't spend too much looking into this." Wiki.

 

The only coins I think anyone should even consider marking are those which are already damaged - burned, bent, corroded, discolored, etc. That said, I just don't see any benefit that can be gained in marking them. If you get your own previous coins back, so what? Random chance is going to get you a few of them back if you go through enough coins regardless (unless you're dropping them off far far away).

 

Just leave coins alone. There is nothing clever about defacing them, whether it be marks, artificial toning or whatnot.

 

Marking returned rolls is one thing and completely reasonable. Marking individual coins is, well, both foolish and a waste of time imo.

 

OH NO! Now the Mods are using color! What's next? Faces?

@buffaloboy Perhaps you can paint a red line down the side of each roll you have checked. The paint will be protected in the reeds. Wait , if the paint jobs on coins are all you are "famous" for, I understand your motive. Hummm, I want to be "famous" too. Look for green painted quarters coming to your state soon.