Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Veovis · 09-29-2003, 12:34 PM

Hello all,

I've read a few threads on this forum on the subject and wanted to ask this straight and clear:

Is it legal under US law to cross out "In God We Trust" on paper money and replace it with "E Pluribus Unum" as long as I don't distort the face value?

Mageth · 09-29-2003, 12:42 PM

Quick answer: yes. I don't believe it's illegal to deface money as long as it's still passable as currency, or if it is it's certainly not enforced.

Veovis · 09-29-2003, 12:52 PM

Thanks! Now I just have to wait until I get some money to change it.

Mageth · 09-29-2003, 01:00 PM

I would add that it's obviously illegal to alter currency in an attempt to pass it off as a different denomination, and also it may be illegal to write advertisements on currency.

I don't think it's illegal to destroy currency so that it's no longer "passable" - look at those penny-smashing machines. So one could use a 100 dollar bill to light a cigar without worrying about getting arrested, if you wanted to.

dangin · 09-29-2003, 01:16 PM

The legal wording is something like - don't deface money with the intent of making it unpassable - so scribbling E Pluribus Unum over IGWT is something you want to share, your intent is to not make it unpassable.

Stephen Maturin · 09-29-2003, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Veovis
Is it legal under US law to cross out "In God We Trust" on paper money and replace it with "E Pluribus Unum" as long as I don't distort the face value?

AFAIK, no one has ever been prosecuted for that. The applicable federal statute sez:

Quote:

Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

18 U.S.C. sec. 333 (emphasis added).

The simple act of crossing out IGWT and writing in EPU doesn't make a bill unfit for reissue, nor is it intended to render the bill unfit.

Veovis · 09-29-2003, 01:21 PM

All I plan on doing is crossing out the IGWT and writing EPU next to it, and possibly writing "This used to belong to an atheist" at the bottom.

That's all, I promise!

Edit: Forgot a quote mark.

Shake · 09-29-2003, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Veovis
All I plan on doing is crossing out the IGWT and writing EPU next to it, and possibly writing "This used to belong to an atheist at the bottom.

That's all, I promise!

If you do that, you could go here to track your bills.

Born Free · 09-29-2003, 03:25 PM

That reminds me I have 3 dollars left over from my trip hehehehe

Rhaedas · 09-29-2003, 04:14 PM

Besides, it wasn't legal (via 1st amendment) for the Treasury to begin putting biased religious slogans onto federal notes anyway. All you're doing is fixing a Red Scare mistake made in the 50s.

09-29-2003, 12:34 PM	#1
Veovis Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Portland-upon-Willamette Posts: 1,840	Is it legal to cross out IGWT and write EPU on my money? Hello all, I've read a few threads on this forum on the subject and wanted to ask this straight and clear: Is it legal under US law to cross out "In God We Trust" on paper money and replace it with "E Pluribus Unum" as long as I don't distort the face value?

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09-29-2003, 12:42 PM	#2
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	Quick answer: yes. I don't believe it's illegal to deface money as long as it's still passable as currency, or if it is it's certainly not enforced.

09-29-2003, 12:52 PM	#3
Veovis Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Portland-upon-Willamette Posts: 1,840	Thanks! Now I just have to wait until I get some money to change it.

09-29-2003, 01:00 PM	#4
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	I would add that it's obviously illegal to alter currency in an attempt to pass it off as a different denomination, and also it may be illegal to write advertisements on currency. I don't think it's illegal to destroy currency so that it's no longer "passable" - look at those penny-smashing machines. So one could use a 100 dollar bill to light a cigar without worrying about getting arrested, if you wanted to.

09-29-2003, 01:16 PM	#5
dangin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: The Middle, Kansas Posts: 2,637	The legal wording is something like - don't deface money with the intent of making it unpassable - so scribbling E Pluribus Unum over IGWT is something you want to share, your intent is to not make it unpassable.

09-29-2003, 01:21 PM	#7
Veovis Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Portland-upon-Willamette Posts: 1,840	All I plan on doing is crossing out the IGWT and writing EPU next to it, and possibly writing "This used to belong to an atheist" at the bottom. That's all, I promise! Edit: Forgot a quote mark.

09-29-2003, 03:25 PM	#9
Born Free Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Scotland Posts: 4,177	That reminds me I have 3 dollars left over from my trip hehehehe

09-29-2003, 04:14 PM	#10
Rhaedas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: USA Posts: 3,440	Besides, it wasn't legal (via 1st amendment) for the Treasury to begin putting biased religious slogans onto federal notes anyway. All you're doing is fixing a Red Scare mistake made in the 50s.

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