Money

[chell]

Is it illegal to write on money?

 

[Pembo]

I don't think so.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

I guess it would depend on what you were writing. If say you were writing 'give me all your money' and handing it to a bank teller, that might be illegal. If you're writing 'Hi from whereever', I don't think that's illegal.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

I always heard that it was. They used to have stamps for "www.wheresgeorge.com" but they stopped selling them because they said it was illegal to write on money. It's defacing it, I suppose.

Then again, I see an AWFUL lot of it.

 

[Rutt and Tuke]

http://www.lawforkids.org/QA/other/other93.cfm

Question 93: Is it illegal to deface money?

Answer: There is no law or statute against simply writing on a cash bill. For instance, it is not against the law to draw giant red lips on George Washington's portrait on the front of a One Dollar Bill.

However defacing currency with the intent to alter the bill to gain a benefit is illegal. If someone alters a written instrument (such as a check) without permission and with the intent to gain a benefit, then it is called forgery, which is a crime. If one tried to alter a cash bill (like changing a $5 bill to a $20 bill) for the purpose of presenting the altered bill to gain a benefit, then that could be considered a forgery. Forgery of United States Currency in this manner is called counterfeiting and carries with it very stiff penalties.

 

[chell]

Thank you Rutt and Tuke!

Steph I had always heard the same thing too.

Over the weekend a friend starting writing a website on her cash and that's what got me thinking about it.