Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§489 Making or Possessing Likeness of Coins
Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 25— COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY › § 489
Summary
Making, importing, or possessing to sell, give away, or use any item that looks like U.S. or foreign coins is illegal in the U.S. unless the Secretary of the Treasury or another U.S. officer allows it; you can be fined.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §489
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, within the United States, makes or brings therein from any foreign country, or possesses with intent to sell, give away, or in any other manner uses the same, except under authority of the Secretary of the Treasury or other proper officer of the United States, any token, disk, or device in the likeness or similitude as to design, color, or the inscription thereon of any of the coins of the United States or of any foreign country issued as money, either under the authority of the United States or under the authority of any foreign government shall be fined under this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 285 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 171, 35 Stat. 1121; Feb. 15, 1912, ch. 38, 37 Stat. 64). Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title. Changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $100”. 1951—Act July 16, 1951, struck out “publisher’s illustrations excepted” in section catchline, struck out from text all language which could be interpreted to prohibit or restrict the making and printing of coin illustrations in magazines and other publications, and gave the Secretary of the Treasury the authority to make exceptions to the application of this section.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 489
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60