Coin and currency killers--what should the penalty be?

The law is fairly clear on this:

• United States Code
• ** TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
  • *** PART I - CRIMES
    • **** CHAPTER 17 - COINS AND CURRENCY

U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04​

Section 333. Mutilation of national bank obligations

Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or
unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank
bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national
banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal
Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note,
or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined
under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

United States Code
TITLE 18
PART I
CHAPTER 17
§ 331. Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins

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.



Why isn't the law being enforced?

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Because enforcing it is a waste of money and manpower. There are plenty of real crimes out there which actually justify the time and money to enforce.

 

In your opinion.

There have been numerous truly great coins ruined either intentionally or unintentionally. I'm sure there are experts here who could give examples.

 

Yes, but they aren't thinking about the coins, they are thinking about how people ripping a dollar bill in half would mess up all their calculations for printing currency and minting coins, inflation, etc.

 

It may be sad, but if you have a coin you can do whatever you want with it. Collectors may be mad about it, but you are not liable to ever face any sort of criminal charges.

For truly rare coins that have been ruined: oh well, such is life. People get ruined all the time by bad parenting, but that's not enforced as a crime. Human lives take precedence over coins. It would be ridiculous for the government to try and enforce something like this while much more serious things are freely happening.

 

Why aren't you watching the SUPER BOWL like the rest of us?

 

My interests are mostly serious subjects. I'm playing internet chess.

 

if anyone wants a beat down in backgammon then come at me lol

 

Coin killers

Once again the law reads as follows on coins:

United States Code
TITLE 18
PART I
CHAPTER 17
§ 331. Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins

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.

Plain english....do we need to get out a dictionary on this one and explain the plain meaning of words? I could ask a lawyer to comment, it may be helpful when even the leading moderator wants to dismiss this concern.

PNG is working hard on definitions of coin doctoring, that is a subset of this topic.

And as for some people dismissing this as not worthy of law enforcement's resources I have a name to run by them--Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone, ring a bell?

The point being, when the authorities get around to busting up the coin doctors and damagers, they will also find drug dealing, tax evasion and many other crimes too numerous to list here.
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Maybe you need to be a little more specific. Enforced against whom? The Chinese coin operations? Coin conservationists? Collectors who dip in acetone?

Since you don't want to accept the answers you have been given, I have a suggestion. Once you have determined who you want it enforced against, take the evidence that you have to law enforcement. They are better equipped at enforcing the statute than a bunch of strangers on a discussion board.

 

The only part I think should be further enforced is the falsification.

Otherwise, the less government in our lives the better.

 

If you're going to be a stickler for every little law, you will find this world very upsetting.

 

We'll get our best man, Deputy Barney Fife, right on the case.

 

or this guy

 

That is the key word. You can carve "$" on a 1 cent coin, and as long as you don't try to pass it as a dollar.Same for doctoring or cleaning any personal coin for your own amusement as long as you do not sell it knowingly as original. Even then , I suspect the burden of proof would be horrible.

 

If the law was enforced so broadly what would happen to hobo nickles, or cool counterstamps? And i don't mean thay rhetoricaly. Would these people go to jail? How about the people who make rings from coins?

 

If laws were worded precisely and clearly, then we wouldn't need any judges. That lawyerly leeway is needed in any imperfect system.
But now we're getting on a whole different topic altogether...