Replacing lead weights with US nickel coins

[Mobulai]

Technically it’s not a “legal tender” like paper money right?
I always thought that’s the threshold, coins can be destroyed but not bills

 

[lowwall]

Technically it’s not a “legal tender” like paper money right?
I always thought that’s the threshold, coins can be destroyed but not bills

Nope. Coins were more important than bills in early US history. The the law was intended to punish counterfeiting coins and common practices such as removing bits of precious metals from coins or altering coins to make them look like more valuable alternatives. Interestingly, at the point the law was passed, foreign coins were still in wide circulation so the law covers them as well.

The current federal law regarding coins, which dates back to 1948, kept this intent:

18 USC 331

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 attempts 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 fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

The key to this section is the word "fraudulently" which means "intended to deceive".

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Reeded edges of Ag & Au coins prevented lightening. Or at least it made it more obvious. Back in the good old days when money actually meant something: a silver dollar had a dollar's worth of silver in it. A dime 1/10 of that.

 

[justinthedeeps]

View attachment 873378
The all new balanced rig coin vest system — also good for shark attacks

Where do the H's go?

 

[Mobulai]

Where do the H's go?

Oh I guess little Hs all around

 

[Natmart]

I have a friend who goes to Nigeria - I'll have to see if I can really get 20lbs of 2 naira coins for less than $2, because that would be just about awesome...