Is it Illegal to Stamp Money?

Question

Can I stamp say my name or someone elses name on Paper Currency is it legal?

Answer 1

In the law it is acutally illegal to deface money, in anyway. which means no writting on it.

Answer 2

It is illegal to destroy or make it unrecognizable or unusable, marking on it or stamping it is not. If you did something that hid or destroyed the strip or other markings used to authenticate a bill could get you in trouble. Groups have stamped information on money requesting you go to a site and put in the serial number so they can track bills just to see how they move from person to person and place to place, others do it to get a message out.

From the US Bureau of Engraving and currency at moneyfactory.gov:

Defacement of Currency

Defacement of currency is a violation of Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code. Under this provision, currency defacement is generally defined as follows: Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, 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, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

Defacement of currency in such a way that it is made unfit for circulation comes under the jurisdiction of the United States Secret Service. The United States Secret Service web address is www.secretservice.gov.

Answer 3

I don't know of anyone being taken to jail or anything for writing something on paper currency. It's not proper, but eventuallyl when that currency is caught by the bank (which could be when the money is deposited that night by the company you give it to) then the bank just send it to the US Department of the Treasury and it's destroyed and replaced. Why on earth would you want to "stamp" your name or someone elses on currency anyway? That currency is for your use and really doesn't belong to you so why would you deface it? I don't understand.

from wikipedia:
"The law states: Defacement of currency is a violation of Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code. Under this provision, currency defacement is generally defined as follows: Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, 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, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. Defacement of currency in such a way that it is made unfit for circulation comes under the jurisdiction of the United States Secret Service. --Birdhombre 19:06, 19 September 2005 (UTC) "

Answer 4

Technically it's illegal to "deface" currency in the US. I can't think of a single instance of it ever being enforced though.
(I particularly like the stamp of a speech balloon next to Washington's face saying, "I grew Hemp.")

Answer 5

As the law states, it is illegal to "render such item(s) unfit to be reissued", placing a stamped image or words on a $1 bill does not render it unfit to be reissued.

Answer 6

I have read that it is illegal to deface money, but if it's mine, why can't I write on it. I think the crime only carries a ticket and fine though.

Answer 7

It's illegal, but really.... who is going to catch you and run to the U.S. Treasure and demand your arrest?