§481 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Makes it a federal crime to make, own, use, sell, or bring into the United States any plates, tools, pictures, or copies used to forge or reproduce money, bonds, or other securities of a foreign government, bank, or corporation unless you have legal permission. That includes making or engraving printing plates that look like the real ones, making or having photos, scans, or other digital copies of foreign money or bonds with the intent to cheat, printing or selling likenesses of foreign notes, or importing counterfeit plates or images. If you break this, you can be fined, imprisoned for up to 25 years, or both.

Title 18, §481

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever, within the United States except by lawful authority, controls, holds, or possesses any plate, stone, or other thing, or any part thereof, from which has been printed or may be printed any counterfeit note, bond, obligation, or other security, in whole or in part, of any foreign government, bank, or corporation, or uses such plate, stone, or other thing, or knowingly permits or suffers the same to be used in counterfeiting such foreign obligations, or any part thereof; or Whoever, except by lawful authority, makes or engraves any plate, stone, or other thing in the likeness or similitude of any plate, stone, or other thing designated for the printing of the genuine issues of the obligations of any foreign government, bank, or corporation; or Whoever, with intent to defraud, makes, executes, acquires, scans, captures, records, receives, transmits, reproduces, sells, or has in such person’s control, custody, or possession, an analog, digital, or electronic image of any bond, certificate, obligation, or other security of any foreign government, or of any treasury note, bill, or promise to pay, lawfully issued by such foreign government and intended to circulate as money; or Whoever, except by lawful authority, prints, photographs, or makes, executes, or sells any engraving, photograph, print, or impression in the likeness of any genuine note, bond, obligation, or other security, or any part thereof, of any foreign government, bank, or corporation; or Whoever brings into the United States any counterfeit plate, stone, or other thing, engraving, photograph, print, or other impressions of the notes, bonds, obligations, or other securities of any foreign government, bank, or corporation— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 25 years, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 275 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 161, 35 Stat. 1118). References to persons causing, procuring, assisting or aiding were omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by section 2 of this title. Changes in phraseology were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2001—Pub. L. 107–56 substituted “, stones, or analog, digital, or electronic images” for “or stones” in section catchline and “25 years” for “five years” in last par. and inserted after second par. “Whoever, with intent to defraud, makes, executes, acquires, scans, captures, records, receives, transmits, reproduces, sells, or has in such person’s control, custody, or possession, an analog, digital, or electronic image of any bond, certificate, obligation, or other security of any foreign government, or of any treasury note, bill, or promise to pay, lawfully issued by such foreign government and intended to circulate as money; or”. 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” in last par.

§481 Plates, stones, or analog, digital, or electronic images for counterfeiting foreign obligations or securities