§ 491. Tokens or paper used as money
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/usc/title-18/section-491A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
(a)Whoever, being 18 years of age or over, not lawfully authorized, makes, issues, or passes any coin, card, token, or device in metal, or its compounds, intended to be used as money, or whoever, being 18 years of age or over, with intent to defraud, makes, utters, inserts, or uses any card, token, slug, disk, device, paper, or other thing similar in size and shape to any of the lawful coins or other currency of the United States or any coin or other currency not legal tender in the United States, to procure anything of value, or the use or enjoyment of any property or service from any automatic merchandise vending machine, postage-stamp machine, turnstile, fare box, coinbox telephone, parking meter or other lawful receptacle, depository, or contrivance designed to receive or to be operated by lawful coins or other currency of the United States, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(b)Nothing contained in this section shall create immunity from criminal prosecution under the laws of any State, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia.
(c)“Knowledge or reason to believe”, within the meaning of paragraph
(b)of this section, may be shown by proof that any law-enforcement officer has, prior to the commission of the offense with which the defendant is charged, informed the defendant that tokens, slugs, disks, or other devices of the kind manufactured, sold, offered, or advertised for sale by him or exposed or kept with intent to furnish or sell, are being used unlawfully or fraudulently to operate certain specified automatic merchandise vending machines, postage-stamp machines, turnstiles, fare boxes, coin-box telephones, parking meters, or other receptacles, depositories, or contrivances, designed to receive or to be operated by lawful coins of the United States.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 710; Pub. L. 87–667, Sept. 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 555; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 282, 282a (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 168, 35 Stat. 1120, and § 168a as added Apr. 1, 1944, ch. 151, 58 Stat. 149).
Mandatory punishment provision in subsection
(a)was rephrased in the alternative.
Sections were consolidated and changes were made in phraseology.
Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title.
Punishment provision in paragraph
(a)of 5 years was changed to 1 year to make the offense a misdemeanor as was done in paragraph
(b)of this section, which represents the latest expression of the intention of Congress. See definition of felony and misdemeanor in section 1 of this title and note thereunder.
In paragraph
(b)the $3,000 fine was reduced to $1,000 to conform to paragraph
(a)and as more in keeping with the gravity of offense.
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- NoticesNotice of (A) proposed temporary, emergency amendments to sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary; (B) proposed permanent, non-emergency amendments to sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary
- Presidential DocumentsNotice of: (A) promulgation of temporary, emergency amendments, effective May 1, 2001, for (1) offenses involving the manufacture, importation, exportation, or trafficking of “Ecstasy”; (2) offenses involving the manufacture, importation, or trafficking of amphetamine; (3) offenses involving the trafficking of certain List I chemicals that are used in the manufacture of methamphetamine; and (4) offenses involving peonage and human trafficking; and (B) submission to Congress of additional non-emergency amendments to the sentencing guidelines, effective November 1, 2001
Traces to 2 documents
11 references not yet in our index
- June 25, 1948, ch. 645
- 62 Stat. 710
- Pub. L. 87–667
- 76 Stat. 555
- Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H)
- 108 Stat. 2147
- Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 168
- 35 Stat. 1120
- Apr. 1, 1944, ch. 151
- 58 Stat. 149
- Pub. L. 103–322