Defacing money vs Fender Washer

[Chip]

Stainless fender washers priced at $0.99 came to $1.04 at my local hardware store. So, my question is, should I just drill a hole in a quarter and substitute those for fender washers? I could get four for the price of one washer. Is it a crime to deface money?

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I can't give legal advice, but Google says it is illegal to deface a US coin. The next questions are whether anyone would apprehend or prosecute someone for doing so to a quarter. Gosh, how many kids have put coins on railroad tracks to flatten them. I have some metal poker chips and socialist country coins.

I belong to an organization that awards a silver dollar for one year of membership. It is traditional to punch a hole in the silver dollar for each year of membership. Today, actually, happens to be the anniversary of my 33rd year of membership. But I wasn't much of a traditionalist.

 

[lowangle al]

I don't know what your application is but you may be able to get by using pennies that have been run over by a train. This way you would save enough money to make it worthwhile to comit a felony.

 

[Zac]

YOLO! Great idea, I will probably copy it myself, just bought some stainless hardware the other day and the price was ridiculous. Maybe sand the edges and visible face so you can't tell that it's a quarter any more, if you're skeered.

 

[memaquay]

Get your hands on some Canadian quarters, the cost will be less, and I don't believe you will be extradited for defacing foreign money.

 

[scoutergriz]

Most coins are an alloy designed to take an imprint and are soft, fender washers are designed to take and distribute stress and are far more suitable for any job that handles a load.

 

[Waterspyder]

The new 2022 quarters have Washington facing left instead of right. So you could justify drilling old quarters by saying they were obsolete.

 

[Mike McCrea]

“Maybe sand the edges and visible face so you can't tell that it's a quarter any more”

Some scofflaw, who I will not name, sanded off the tails side to some nickels down to half depth and epoxied two shaved pieces together to make double-headed nickels.

He should have kept one, but had too much fun going double or nothing with waitress and cashier buddies, and after he fessed up they wanted the coin to screw with their kids or spouses.

BTW, if you sand the tails off a nickel it doesn’t get red hot, it gets weirdly blue hot. Or so I’ve been told, not saying I’ve ever seen this myself.

(The bright blue fades as it cools, and the heads surface appears unmarred)

Back on topic, SS cap nuts for 3/16” machine screws are now, well, nuts, like $1.00 each.