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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dcarr, post: 2168420, member: 4781&quot;]If 18 U.S.C. 487 were the only consideration, every maker of every replica coin, Indian Head silver round, or any medal or token with &quot;LIBERTY&quot; on it (for example), could be in violation of the law.</p><p><br /></p><p>But the Hobby Protection Act (HPA) was enacted after 18 U.S.C. 487. And the HPA allows numismatic replicas to be made and sold. Those replicas are typically made by using molds and dies in the likeness of US coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>18 U.S.C. 485 does not appear to apply to altering and/or defacing coins when the alteration/defacement is not for fraudulent purposes.</p><p><br /></p><p>The US Mint web site underlines the key word &quot;fraudulently&quot;:</p><p><a href="http://www.usmint.gov/consumer/18USC331.cfm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.usmint.gov/consumer/18USC331.cfm" rel="nofollow">http://www.usmint.gov/consumer/18USC331.cfm</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Clearly, the purpose of 18 U.S.C. was to protect the integrity of the aggregate circulating coinage base. Note the reference in 485 to foreign gold and silver coins which are &quot;current&quot; (meaning that they circulate as money). That has not been the case since 1857. 18 U.S.C. does not address non-circulating items like novelties, elongated cents, carved &quot;hobo&quot; nickels, coin jewelry, etc., as most of that type of thing didn&#039;t exist when 18 U.S.C. was enacted.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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