Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§331 Mutilation, Diminution, and Falsification of Coins
Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 17— COINS AND CURRENCY › § 331
Summary
It's a crime to on purpose change, damage, shave, or make fake United States coins or foreign coins that are used as money here. It's also illegal to knowingly have, use, sell, try to pass, or bring such altered coins into the United States. A person can be fined, jailed up to five years, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §331
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 279 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 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.
Editorial Notes
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.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 331
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60