Is defacing currency such as coins illegal?
<p>So on reddit today I saw <a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/jMmAO.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this quarter</a> that was artistically carved and made into a necklace/medallion. I've also seen people that create rings out of quarters and not to mention those penny-pressing souvenir machines in many places... which led me to ponder whether this was illegal as many people claim and point to USC 18 Section 331 or thereabouts...</p>

<p>USC 18 Section 331 starts with:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Whoever <strong>fraudulently</strong> 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...</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(emphasis mine)</p>

<p>I'm not a lawyer, but I've always thought this meant that it was illegal to alter or deface currency <strong>only</strong> if there was intend to defraud with such "altered" currency? Is my interpretation correct? now I'm not quite sure, since I recall that recently Obama pardoned a person convicted of "mutilation of coins"...?</p>

<p>You seem to doubt your interpretation of the law because you assume that the guy was convicted in the absence of fraud.  In fact, that is not the case.</p>

<p>He was convicted of <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/pres-obama-pardons-man-convicted-of-mutilation-of-coins.143584/" rel="nofollow">cutting pennies down to the size of dimes so he could use them in vending machines</a>.  The conviction therefore confirms your interpretation of the law rather than calling it onto doubt.</p>

currency