Coinage Offences Act 1861
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1861 c. 99 |
(24 & 25 Vict.) C A P. XCIX.
[6th August 1861]
'WHEREAS it is expedient to consolidate and amend the Statute Law of the United Kingdom against Offences relating to the Coin:' Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, as follows:
1 Interpretation of Terms.
1. In the Interpretation of and for the Purposes of this Act, the Expression ‘the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin’ shall include any Gold or Silver Coin coined in any of Her Majesty's Mints, or lawfully current, by virtue of any Proclamationor otherwise, in any Part of Her Majesty's Dominions, whether within the United Kingdom or otherwise; and the Expression ‘the Queen's Copper Coin’ shall include any Copper Coinand any Coin of Bronze or mixed Metal coined in any of Her Majesty's Mints, or lawfully current, by virtue of any Proclamation or otherwise, in any Part of Her Majesty's said Dominions; and the Expression ‘false or counterfeit Coin resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin’ shall include any of the current Coin which shall have been gilt, silvered, washed, coloured, or cased over, or in any Manner altered, so as to resemble or be apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Coin of a higher Denomination; and the Expression ‘the Queen's current Coin’ shall include any Coin coined in any of Her Majesty's Mints, or lawfully current, by virtue of any Proclamation or otherwise, in any Partof Her Majesty's said Dominions, and whether made of Gold, Silver, Copper, Bronze, or mixed Metal; and where the having any Matter in the Custody or Possession of any Person is mentioned in this Act, it shall include, not only the having of it by himself in his personal Custody or Possession, but also the knowingly and wilfully having it in the actual Custody or Possession of any other Person, and also the knowingly and wilfully having it in any Dwelling House or other Building, Lodging, Apartment, Field, or other Place, open or inclosed, whether belonging to or occupied by himself or not, and whether such Matter shall be so had for his own Use or Benefit or for that of any other Person.
2 Counterfeiting the Gold or Silver Coin.
2. Whosoever shall falsely make or counterfeit any Coin resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin, shall, inEngland and Ireland , be guilty of Felony, and in Scotland of a high Crime and Offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for Life or for any Term not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement.
3 Colouring counterfeit Coin or any Pieces of Metal with Intent to make them pass for Gold or Silver Coin.
3. Whosoever shall gild or silver, or shall, with any Wash or Materials capable of producing the Colour or Appearance of Gold or of Silver, or by any Means whatsoever, wash, case over, or colour any Coin whatsoever resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin; or shall gild or silver, or shall, with any Wash or Materials capable of producing the Colour or Appearance of Gold or of Silver, or by any Means whatsoever, wash, case over, or colour any Piece of Silver or Copper, or of coarse Gold or coarse Silver, or of any Metal or Mixture of Metals respectively, being of a fit Size and Figure to be coined, and with Intent that the same shall be coined into false and counterfeit Coin resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen'scurrent Gold or Silver Coin; or shall gild, or shall, with any Wash or Materials capable of producing the Colour or Appearance of Gold, or by any Means whatsoever, wash, case over, or colour any of the Queen's current Silver Coin, or file or in any Manner alter such Coin, with Intent to make the same resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Gold Coin; or shall gild or silver, or shall, with any Wash or Materials capable of producing the Colour or Appearance of Gold or Silver, or by any Means whatsoever, wash, case over, or colour any of the Queen's current Copper Coin, or file or in any Manner alter such Coin, with Intent to make the same resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin, shall, inEngland and Ireland , be guilty of Felony, and in Scotland of a high Crime and Offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for Life or for any Term not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement.
4 Impairing the Gold or Silver Coin with Intent, &c.
4. Whosoever shall impair, diminish, or lighten any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin, with Intent that the Coin so impaired, diminished, or lightened may pass for the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin, shall, inEngland and Ireland , be guilty of Felony, and in Scotland of a high Crime and Offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for any Term not exceeding Fourteen Years and not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement.
5 Unlawful Possession of Filings or Clippings of Gold or Silver Coin.
5. Whosoever shall unlawfully have in his Custody or Possession any Filings or Clippings, or any Gold or Silver Bullion, or any Gold or Silver in Dust, Solution, or otherwise, which shall have been produced or obtained by impairing, diminishing, or lightening any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin, knowing the same to have been so produced or obtained, shall, inEngland and Ireland , be guilty of Felony, and in Scotland of a high Crime and Offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for any Term not exceeding Seven Years and not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement.
6 Buying or selling, &c. counterfeit Gold or Silver Coin for lower Value than its Denomination.
6. Whosoever, without lawful Authority or Excuse (the Proof whereof shall lie on the Party accused), shall buy, sell, receive, pay, or put off, or offer to buy, sell, receive, pay, or put off, any false or counterfeit Coin resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin at or for a lower Rate or Value than the same imports or was apparently intended to import, shall, inEngland and Ireland , be guilty of Felony, and in Scotland of a high Crime and Offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for Life or for any Term not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement; and in any Indictment for any such Offence as in this Section aforesaid it shall be sufficient to allege that the Party accused did buy, sell, receive, pay, or put off, or did offer to buy, sell, receive, pay, or put off, the false or counterfeit Coin at or for a lower Rate or Value than the same imports or was apparently intended to import, without alleging at or for what Rate, Price, or Value the same was bought, sold, received, paid, or put off, or offered to be bought, sold, received, paid, or put off.
7 Importing counterfeit Coin from beyond Seas.
7. Whosoever, without lawful Authority or Excuse (the Proof whereof shall lie on the Party accused), shall import or receive into the United Kingdom from beyond the Seas any false or counterfeit Coin resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin, knowing the same to be false or counterfeit, shall, inEngland and Ireland , be guilty of Felony, and in Scotland of a high Crime and Offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for Life or for any Term not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement.
8 Exporting counterfeit Coin.
8. Whosoever, without lawful Authority or Excuse (the Proof whereof shall lie on the Party accused), shall export or put on board any Ship, Vessel, or Boat for the Purpose of being exported from the United Kingdom, any false or counterfeit Coin, resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any of the Queen's current Coin, knowing the same to be false or counterfeit, shall inEngland and Ireland , be guilty of a Misdemeanor, and in Scotland of a Crime and Offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with...
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