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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;vnickels, post: 1256965, member: 25790&quot;][h=1]The Treasury&#039;s Letter to Vance Fowler<span style="color: #990000"></span></p><p><span style="color: #990000"></span><font face="Geneva"><b>Is it legal to press pennies or other coins?</b></font>[/h]Mr. Angelo Rosato reproduced this letter from the Department of the Treasury to <a href="http://www.parkpennies.com/vancefowler.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.parkpennies.com/vancefowler.htm" rel="nofollow">Mr. Vance Fowler</a> in his book &quot;Encyclopedia of the Modern Elongated&quot;, (ISBN 0-9626996-2-4) <a href="mailto:angrospub@aol.com?subject=Rosato's%20Excellent%20Book......">angrospub@aol.com.</a> The letter was dated July 22, 1980, letterhead: The Department of the Treasury, Office of the Director of the Mint, and is probably the source of many quotes collectors have seen over the years. It reads in part:</p><p><i>&quot;This is in reply to your letter of Jun 20, 1980, concerning United States statutes governing the destruction, melting, or other extramonetary uses of United States coins. You refer to and question the legality of a souvenir machine which compresses coins and returns a souvenir. You refer to Title 18, U. S. C. sections 331 and 475.</i></p><p><i>As you are already aware, a federal statute in the criminal code of the United States (18 U.S.C. 331), indeed makes it illegal if one &quot;fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales or lightens&quot; any U.S. coin. However, being a criminal statute, a fraudulent intent is required for violation. Thus, the mere act of compressing coins into souvenirs is not illegal, without other factors being present.</i></p><p><i>Section 475, which you refer to in your letter, regarding the attachment of notice or advertisement to legal tender, does not apply to your souvenirs in this case. Your are not impressing or attaching a business or professional card, notice or advertisement to a coin, your are simply making an impression on the coin.</i></p><p><i>We hope this information answers your question. If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us.</i></p><p><i>Sincerely,</i></p><p><i>Kenneth B. Gubin</i></p><p><i></i><i>Counsel to the Mint. </i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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