tom3t0 Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 But will we need flaps for Prince Charles coins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Code13 Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I don't think it is illegal to deface the Queen's image or put stamps on upside down (a petty thing Irish Repbulicans in Northern Ireland were/are fond of doing), I think the bit about defacing coins is more to do with the integrity of the currency and laws going back to the days when coins were actually made of valuable metal and people tried to shave bits off them and melt the shavings down etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Orange Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Is it illegal to get naked in front of her majesty or even her corgies? Not that I would want to, of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heyesey Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I don't think it is illegal to deface the Queen's image or put stamps on upside down (a petty thing Irish Repbulicans in Northern Ireland were/are fond of doing), I think the bit about defacing coins is more to do with the integrity of the currency and laws going back to the days when coins were actually made of valuable metal and people tried to shave bits off them and melt the shavings down etc. I think you're right so far as the coins go; it's illegal to deface a coin because of its monetary value, regardless of what images are on it. (Technically, the coins in your pocket do not belong to you; they are tokens, belonging to the Royal Mint, which represent an amount of money. The amount of money belongs to you, but not the coinage and notes.) But you're wrong about the stamps; it is a criminal offence to place a stamp upside down. In both cases - unless you are involved in skimming metal from coins on a professional basis - the chance of you being charged, much less convicted, of either offence is exactly zero. And since coins are now made from base metals, skimming the metal on a professional basis is a loss-making business anyway. Witness, conversely, the position in the USA where a one-cent coin is now worth almost three cents as scrap metal. They are having to actively enforce the law which forbids anyone from melting down coinage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotherhamer Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I think you're right so far as the coins go; it's illegal to deface a coin because of its monetary value, regardless of what images are on it. (Technically, the coins in your pocket do not belong to you; they are tokens, belonging to the Royal Mint, which represent an amount of money. The amount of money belongs to you, but not the coinage and notes.) But you're wrong about the stamps; it is a criminal offence to place a stamp upside down. In both cases - unless you are involved in skimming metal from coins on a professional basis - the chance of you being charged, much less convicted, of either offence is exactly zero. And since coins are now made from base metals, skimming the metal on a professional basis is a loss-making business anyway. Witness, conversely, the position in the USA where a one-cent coin is now worth almost three cents as scrap metal. They are having to actively enforce the law which forbids anyone from melting down coinage. I know somebody who got time for forging..he filed the corners off of 50p pieces to make them into 10p's,needless to say he was a Dee Dah:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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