Nonpartisan civic infrastructure
AllCiv·Legis1
·

18 U.S.C. § 487

U.S. CodeFederalPositive Law
Making or possessing counterfeit dies for coins
About This Law
/us/usc/t18/s487
Title
18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter
PTI/CH25
Release
119-84
Release Date
2026-04-17

Section Text

Highlight any text to annotate
Whoever, without lawful authority, makes any die, hub, or mold, or any part thereof, either of steel or plaster, or any other substance, in likeness or similitude, as to the design or the inscription thereon, of any die, hub, or mold designated for the coining or making of any of the genuine gold, silver, nickel, bronze, copper, or other coins coined at the mints of the United States; or Whoever, without lawful authority, possesses any such die, hub, or mold, or any part thereof, or permits the same to be used for or in aid of the counterfeiting of any such coins of the United States— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than fifteen years, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 709; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.) Historical and Revision NotesBased on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 283 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 169, 35 Stat. 1120). Reference to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting was omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by section 2 of this title. Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative. The provision for imprisonment for 10 years was changed to 15 years to conform to section 471 of this title. Changes in phraseology were made. Editorial Notes Amendments1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.

Take Action

Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this section.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.