# Why is the Penny the only ODD coin in US Currency? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2004, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634 "2004-02-11T11:01:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634/21 "2004-02-15T13:56:56Z")
> [@Donovan](#): > > Can I get clarification on this? I was told by a HS chem teacher (we were making ‘gold’ pennies) that the law indicates it is illegal to deface coins/currency for the purpose of fraud, but that is what is illegal - therefore, coin jewelry, penny keepsakes, as well as the gag dollar bills defaced to show santa instead of GW(anyone seen those?) etc., are perfectly legal. Was she just trying to shut me up? From the US Treasury department website, the law on currency: Defacement of currency is a violation of Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code. Under this provision, currency defacement is generally defined as follows: Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. IANAL, but I think the key word here is “unusable” And, the law on coin: This question is addressed by 331, U.S.C. 18, which provides penalties for the mutilation of our coins. These penalties consist of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment of not more than five years, or both. This section generally applies to anyone who “fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens” any coins circulating in the United States. It also addresses anyone who “fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells . . . or brings into the United States, any such coin.” If you believe you know of such fraud, you should contact your local office of the United States Secret Service, which is responsible for investigating such cases. I think the key word here is “fraudulent.” There’s some scratching on it, but not any fraudulent intent. Those “penny machines” that turn your Lincoln cent into a flat ellipse with some design imprinted on it are (IMO) probably not doing anything “fraudulent.” And about the 1883 Liberty Head nickel that didn’t contain the word “cents,” I actually saw one of those gold-plated nickels one time. The person who owned it was quite proud of is 1883 5 “dollar” coin. I didn’t have the heart to tell him any differently. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634/22 "2004-02-15T21:51:45Z")
> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#): > > And about the 1883 Liberty Head nickel that didn’t contain the word “cents,” I actually saw one of those gold-plated nickels one time. The person who owned it was quite proud of is 1883 5 “dollar” coin. I didn’t have the heart to tell him any differently. I can understand that. I’d be disinclined to rain on his parade, unless there were some way of authenticating it as one actually plated as part of the fraud, at which point I’d imagine it would become more valuable than the actual gold coin… ---
**Author:** ![SAustinTx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@SAustinTx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SAustinTx)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634/23 "2004-02-15T22:23:38Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I assume that the OP is referring to coins that someone actually uses 😛 The only establishments I’ve seen that use these Sacagawea dollars are a few unscrupulous bars. No doubt many a drunk has tipped $4.00 on a $2.00 beer thinking it was quarters he was getting back in change (in dim yellowish orange light all coins tend to have the same hue). Fortunately I’ve always kept my wits about me (actually realizing what you gave the bartender in the first place doesn’t hurt when getting a grasp on your change), but anyplace that makes change with these things on a regular basis won’t get my business: they may not have stiffed me there, but it definitely lets me know they’re trying. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634/24 "2004-02-15T23:09:19Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Something does not compute. If both the nickle and dime were made of silver, and the dime was worth twice the value of the nickle, shouldn’t the dime be bigger??? Only the half-dime was made of silver and it was smaller and half the weight of the dime. The nickel was larger and composed of copper and uh… nickel. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634/25 "2004-02-16T15:41:00Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > How many images of Lincoln on the penny? Two since 1959-his head on the front, a statue of him on the back. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634/26 "2004-02-16T15:49:42Z")
My 1907 coin says “V cents.” ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634/27 "2004-02-16T15:55:42Z")
> [@Donovan](#): > > as well as the gag dollar bills defaced to show santa instead of GW(anyone seen those?) etc., are perfectly legal. They’re technically not “gag dollar bills” in my opinion (a “gag dollar bill” to me would be a completely fake bill, like that $200 Bush bill that has twice been used in real transactions). It’s technically not even a “defacement,” it’s just a sticker of Santa Claus placed over the portrait of Washington. I can’t find the documentation, but I believe the government says this is okay, even though they don’t really approve of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-penny-the-only-odd-coin-in-us-currency/228634.md?page=1)