Just so everyone’s aware, it’s super duper illegal to deface currency.
So like, it would be against the law to use a sharpie to add a Hitler mustache to Trump’s face on said dollar bill; or add an arm extended in a Nazi salute; or add swastikas over ‘god’ where it says “In god we trust”; to then bring it to a bank and report that you received defaced currency and would like to exchange it for new bills, only to do it all again.
It’s more a legally gray area in the US that as far as I can find from a quick search has never been settled in court. It likely isn’t worth the time for police to go after either even if it was more explicitly illegal.
That might change if there’s a sudden surge in people drawing on $100 bills, but who uses $100s that often anyway? Most ATMs I used only dispense $20s. It often isn’t worth the trip to the bank, and the US is unfortunately mostly cashless now.
But to be clear: fuck this fascist bullshit and resist in whatever ways you can
There’s an argument we shouldn’t even be issuing $100 bills in the first place. Counterfeiters have to spend money to copy money. A $1 or $5 bill isn’t worth the cost. A $50 is getting there, but if you put extra anti-counterfeiting measures around it, then it’s pushed out of reach again.
Once you reach a $100 bill, though, it’s hard to have enough anti-counterfeiting measures while also being cheap enough to produce by the actual US Mint. Drop it entirely, and the problem goes away.
Sidenote: I spent a couple of years working in Nigeria. Almost all bank notes there had some scribble on it, as it frequently doubled as note paper. When you don’t have Post-its, cash will do, I guess.
I guess there’s some wiggle room with regards to intent and whether it could be argued that adding Nazi iconography (moreso than trump’s face as-is) to bills renders them unfit to be kept in circulation.
If my personal freedom was on the line here, I’m sticking with “idk it was like that when I got it - can I get a new one please?” vs “ooh come on, it’s fiiine, you can still spend this!” but interpreting the law isn’t my specialty, so grain of salt.
Just so everyone’s aware, it’s super duper illegal to deface currency.
So like, it would be against the law to use a sharpie to add a Hitler mustache to Trump’s face on said dollar bill; or add an arm extended in a Nazi salute; or add swastikas over ‘god’ where it says “In god we trust”; to then bring it to a bank and report that you received defaced currency and would like to exchange it for new bills, only to do it all again.
So… y’know, probably don’t do those things.
It’s more a legally gray area in the US that as far as I can find from a quick search has never been settled in court. It likely isn’t worth the time for police to go after either even if it was more explicitly illegal.
That might change if there’s a sudden surge in people drawing on $100 bills, but who uses $100s that often anyway? Most ATMs I used only dispense $20s. It often isn’t worth the trip to the bank, and the US is unfortunately mostly cashless now.
But to be clear: fuck this fascist bullshit and resist in whatever ways you can
https://www.stampstampede.org/faq/yes-its-legal/
There’s an argument we shouldn’t even be issuing $100 bills in the first place. Counterfeiters have to spend money to copy money. A $1 or $5 bill isn’t worth the cost. A $50 is getting there, but if you put extra anti-counterfeiting measures around it, then it’s pushed out of reach again.
Once you reach a $100 bill, though, it’s hard to have enough anti-counterfeiting measures while also being cheap enough to produce by the actual US Mint. Drop it entirely, and the problem goes away.
Look if you hate hip-hop music videos… 😉
It’s also illegal for a living person to be featured in our currency.
“ThE rUlEs SaY a DoG cAnT pLaY bAsKeTbAlL!1!!”
18th consecutive golden retriever dunk
At this rate he might do it himself.
It’s not illegal as long as you’re not trying to get it out of circulation, advertise, or pass off one denomination as another. So deface away.
(note: I am not a lawyer, do not believe some random person on the internet)
Sidenote: I spent a couple of years working in Nigeria. Almost all bank notes there had some scribble on it, as it frequently doubled as note paper. When you don’t have Post-its, cash will do, I guess.
Um, no. It’s not.
18 U.S. Code § 333 - Mutilation of national bank obligations
I guess there’s some wiggle room with regards to intent and whether it could be argued that adding Nazi iconography (moreso than trump’s face as-is) to bills renders them unfit to be kept in circulation.
If my personal freedom was on the line here, I’m sticking with “idk it was like that when I got it - can I get a new one please?” vs “ooh come on, it’s fiiine, you can still spend this!” but interpreting the law isn’t my specialty, so grain of salt.