Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
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 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 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 700 (PDF, 39 MB); July 16, 1951, ch. 226, §1, 65 Stat. 121; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB).)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to fraudulently alter, damage, shave down, or lighten U.S. coins, or foreign coins that are legal or in use as money in the United States. It is also a crime to fraudulently possess, pass, sell, or bring into the country such coins while knowing they have been altered.