Whoever makes, issues, circulates, or pays out any note, check, memorandum, token, or other obligation for a less sum than $1, intended to circulate as money or to be received or used in lieu of lawful money of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 701; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Historical and Revision NotesBased on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 293 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 178, 35 Stat. 1122).
Numerous suggestions, of which that of Mr. E. M. Million, of Arlington, Va., is typical, recommend that this section be omitted as obsolete or revised to except commercial obligations. However, since the decisions make it plain that only obligations intended to circulate as money are within the provisions of this section and that commercial checks of less than $1 are not affected, there seems no reason so to rewrite the section. (See U.S. v. Monongahela Bridge Co., Fed. Cas. No. 15,796; Stettinius v. U.S., Fed. Cas. No. 13,387.)
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500”.