CITE
18 USC Sec. 331 01/05/2009
EXPCITE
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 17 - COINS AND CURRENCY
HEAD
Sec. 331. Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins
STATUTE
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.
SOURCE
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 700; July 16, 1951, ch. 226, Sec.
1, 65 Stat. 121; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(I),
Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 279 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch.
321, Sec. 165, 35 Stat. 1119).
Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative.
Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as
unnecessary in view of definition of "principal" in section 2 of
this title.
Changes were also made in phraseology.
AMENDMENTS
1994 - Pub. L. 103-322 substituted "fined under this title" for
"fined not more than $2,000".
1951 - Act July 16, 1951, made section applicable to minor coins
(5-cent and 1-cent pieces), and to fraudulent alteration of coins.