Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§8 Obligation or Other Security of the United States Defined
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 8
Summary
Names "obligation or other security of the United States" as U.S. government bonds, notes, currency, stamps, checks, drafts, certificates, coupons, or similar instruments—of any value—issued under law by authorized U.S. officers, including canceled stamps.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §8
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The term “obligation or other security of the United States” includes all bonds, certificates of indebtedness, national bank currency, Federal Reserve notes, Federal Reserve bank notes, coupons, United States notes, Treasury notes, gold certificates, silver certificates, fractional notes, certificates of deposit, bills, checks, or drafts for money, drawn by or upon authorized officers of the United States, stamps and other representatives of value, of whatever denomination, issued under any Act of Congress, and canceled United States stamps.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 261 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 147, 35 Stat. 1115; Jan. 27, 1938, ch. 10, § 3, 52 Stat. 7). The terms of this section were general enough to justify its inclusion in this chapter rather than retaining it in the chapter on “Counterfeiting” where the terms which it specifically defines are set out in section 471–476, 478, 481, 483, 492, and 504 of this title. Words “Federal Reserve notes, Federal Reserve bank notes” were inserted before “coupons” because such notes have almost supplanted national bank currency. Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 8
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102