Dollar puzzle

[EIEIO]

One of Steve's catalog patterns is a Dollar Bill Jigsaw Puzzle. He glues a dollar bill to a piece of 1/4" BB Ply then cuts it into a bunch of pieces.

Does anyone know if there is any legal issue with doing this? I know you cannot deface currency for the purpose of changing its denomination (e.g. can't change a $1 to a $10) but this project would not do that (although you'd hope it is worth more than $1 when you're done!)

Any thoughts?

[tdub4ever]

Don't think Steve would do it if it was illegal

[dgman]

Technically, it is illegal. But the laws are mainly to prevent counterfeiting and altering to change the value of the bill or coin.

[phantom scroller]

As far as I'm aware if it's art it can be done and as far as I'm concerned everything we do is art.

Roly

[Marcellarius]

don't try to pay with it anymore...   
although technically it's still a dollar bill.... 

[GrayBeard]

The Federal Reserve who issues our currency has a classification of "Mutilated Currency" for very old, worn, torn bills and bent or twisted coins.
The puzzle would fall in that classification and you could redeem it for face value, I think, IF you took the trouble to take it to a Fed. Res. office and asked for replacement!
Might be fun to try!

Do we have any 'bankers' that can answer the question?

~~~GTB~~~

[scotti158]

I wouldn't try it in a vending machine

[Scroll Down]

Wife is a banker and says it is technically illegal to destroy it, but its no different than lighting a cigar with a bill. Not something the feds will kick your door down for.

You could send it to the fed deserve and as long as all serial numbers are there you would get a replacement.

[mrsn]

I asked someone about this when they were selling jewelry made from coins. They had literature explaining that is simplest forms it is illegal to mutilate money and then try to use them for face value. To "mutilate" for artistic purposes is not against the law. Although the laws may be different outside of the US.

[Scroll Down]

United States Code
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 17 - COINS AND CURRENCY
? 333. Mutilation of national bank obligations

?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.

[EIEIO]

I guess that settles it. Thanks Jay.

[Marcellarius]

well then, start cutting..  

[sgood]

This paragraph from the U.S. Mint website should clear this up:

    Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who 'fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States. This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the U.S. Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent. (Source U.S. Mint)


Again there are no laws broken in the US by making these puzzles unless there is fraudulent intent to misrepresent the money.

[IBMer]

Not to open a new can of worms, but is it legal to sell a bill for more than it's face value?   For example, turning a $1 into a puzzle then selling it for $5.    Technically, the face value of the Dollar is still only $1.00     So long as you disclose that you are selling your ART for $4 and the remaining dollar is the face-value of the currency used to make the art.....      What if you glue a dollar on either side of your wood, and face them away from each-other so that the puzzle also has a front and a back.   But then you would have to charge Two Dollars Face Value for a single Dollar puzzle.   Right?

This is just too confusing.  It's like traveling back in time and meeting your younger self.  Can the same matter occupy the same living space, or will time collapse onto it's self and cause a cataclysm of unimaginable proportions  :-p    

I suspect that if you make and sell dollar puzzles as Crafts that there won't be anyone questioning you.   If they do, they simply have too much time on their hands and need a Fun Hobby.   You could introduce them to Scroll Sawing...

  

[EIEIO]

I imagine there are samples of collectible currency, like old gold pieces or dollar bills with Elvis' phone number written on them (a great way to get a fun-time date for $1 if you're Elvis), that sell for greater than their face value, so that's probably not a problem. But going back to the past and confronting yourself, or sneaking yourself the questions to an upcoming final exam, violates any number of laws. I don't recommend anyone violate laws in any place or time.

Just saying.