Is it illegal to write on a dollar bill

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Is it illegal to write on a dollar bill? In my opinion the law says that you cannot deface a banknote if your intent is to render it unfit for circulation (or advertise on it), so basically if you intentionally do something that makes it unusable in a vending machine you are breaking the law.

Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code, is the Actual law pertaining to the topic from which the above opinion was developed.

DEFACEMENT OF 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 under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

The above law doesn’t say anything about 'writing' on a dollar bill, but they are also ambiguous terms and it says you can’t do those things with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued. So you are not going to tear a dollar bill, because you could not use it and you'd be out a buck, but a terrorist might want to destroy money for some nefarious purpose. You might however want to write something on it like a phone number, but your intent probably would not be to render it unfit to be spent as you'd be out a buck.
So what purpose might writing on a dollar be considered a crime? If a business bought a lot of one dollar bills and printed a logo or web address: 18 USC Section 475 regards the attachment of advertisement to legal tender.
 
What about having a dollar signed by a celebrity? The United States Department of Treasury’s Bureau of Printing and Engraving discourages writing on money but has had spokes persons and fact sheets that make statements saying it is not necessarily a crime for example to have a celebrity sign a dollar bill. This could be because the bill is not meant to be placed back in circulation, since it would most likely be saved as a celebrity autograph souvenir as well as there would be no intent to make it unusable. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have refused to sign dollar bills, but Bill Clinton, George Bush and some Treasury Secretaries have signed them as well as many many celebrities(check Ebay) .

So is the Where's George and similar websites breaking the law? Probably not as they state "we do not encourage the defacement of US Currency" and do not seem to be the one's actually stamping the bills "We no longer sell any Where's George? rubber stamps.". Also since Wheresgeorge.com has received an estimated 244,300 visits over the last month, if they were breaking the law, you would assume the Secret Service would have already stepped in at some point since the site was officially launched in December 1998.

What about squishing a penny in those souvenir machines? A fraudulent intent is required for the criminal violation, so the act of compressing coins into souvenirs does not appear to be illegal without other factors existing. Since 'you' are making an impression on the coin and a business is not impressing or attaching a business or card or advertisement to the coin no laws seem to be being broke.

By the way if you are a celebrity and want to sign and send me a dollar (or Hundred dollar bill, since I'm not going to tell you what you can or can not write on) you can mail it to PO Box 459, Tolleson, AZ 85353.

Sources:
-FoxNews.com - By Kimberly Schwandt - Published July 05, 2012 - Oak, Harbor, Ohio - President Obama turned down the offer to sign a dollar bill, citing it as a federal offense to write on currency.
-Politifact.com - By Bill Adair - December 19th, 2007 - Des Moines, Iowa - Hillary Clinton was asked by a shopper to autograph a dollar bill. She refused saying it is illegal to sign money.
- Encyclopedia of the Modern Elongated - by Angelo Rosato - Reproduced letter from the Department of the Treasury to Mr. Vance Fowler.
- wheresgeorge.com/faq-rules-privacy.php
- http://www.moneyfactory.gov/historicallegislation.html

United States Secret Service is the department tasked with enforcement of defacement of currency, they are also the agency that deals with counter fit currency.

*I am not a lawyer, above is my opinion on the law and should not be taken as legal advice. 

Deciphering the mysteries of history in a dollar bill

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How much is a dollar worth?

 

Each bill costs the government about 7 cents to print. You cannot trade in a dollar bill to the government for gold or any other commodity, so technically the dollar bill has no value other than that which a nation's citizens agree the bill is worth to each other.

The worth of US currency is related to a decree by the government that a dollar bill is legal tender for all debts public and private. This means if someone attempts to pay a debt using US dollars, the person being paid must accept the currency as a form of payment or the government will not recognize the debt. However, there does not seem to be Federal statute that mandates a private businesses must accept cash as a form of payment. Private businesses are free to refuse cash as payment for goods unless there is a State law which says otherwise.

Click here for more Interesting facts about US Currency

Worth the paper printed on?

 

US bills are made from a blend of linen and cotton with red and blue silk fibers woven into the currency. Us 'paper' money is not made from pressed wood fiber or common paper. This is why dollar bills don't fall apart in the washing machine like receipts when left in your pocket.

The Great Seal of the United States

 

The back of the dollar bill features the both sides of 'The Great Seal of the United States' designed in 1782. This seal was designed by the Founding Fathers, the first of three groups consisted of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Two other groups were involved before the final design was approved by the US Congress. The unfinished pyramid, was not part of the Franklin, Adams and Jefferson proposed design.

 

Bald Eagle

 

An animal native to America was to become the nation's symbol: In its talons the eagle holds 13 arrows and olive branches with 13 leaves, signifying war and peace.

Annuit Coeptis

 

1 of the 3 Latin phrases printed on the back of the dollar bill; Annuit Coeptis translates as "God has favored our undertakings". Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and other the Founding Fathers believed that it was God's will behind the birth of the United States and that not one man alone but a group of people with the help of God can do great things.

Novus Ordo Seclorum

 

Another of the 3 Latin phrases printed on the back of the bill; translates as "New order of the ages". Charles Thomson, who was involved in the design of The Great Seal of the United States, suggested the phrase to signify "the new American Era" which began in 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

E Pluribus Unum

 

Another of the 3 Latin phrases, E Pluribus Unum translates as "Out of many, one": The 13 colonies unified to form one nation under god.

MDCCLXXVI at the bottom of the pyramid

 

MDCCLXXVI are Roman numerals for the year 1776. Adding the Roman numeral series (M/1000, D/500, C/100, C/100, L/50, X/10, X/10, V/5, I/1) under the pyramid together and you get 1776; the year the 'new American Era' began.

Unfinished pyramid with a glowing eye

 

The 'Eye of Providence' is a visual representation of the phrase Annuit Coeptis (God has favored our undertakings), the Founding Father's ideal that God looked upon the new nation with favor.

Charles Thomson believed the pyramid represented strength and endurance (time). Though he did not explain the unfinished state; the pyramid stops at 13 steps which is the number of the original colonies. Many believe the it being unfinished at 13 to signify our nation was unfinished and would grow.

Thirteen colonies (or states) came together to form the United States of  America and he number 13 is represented in many places on the dollar bill.

-The Bald Eagle is holding an olive branch in its right talon with 13 leaves standing for peace.

-In the left talon, the Eagle is holding 13 arrows signifying war.

-The shield over the Eagle's chest has 13 bars and over the Eagle's head, there are 13 stars.

-E Pluribus Unum, on the scroll hanging from the eagle's beak has 13 letters.

-The phrase Annuit Coeptis also has 13 letters

On the front of a dollar, the letter inside the black seal identifies the Federal Reserve bank which placed the order and the letter corresponds to the black number that is printed four times on the face of the bill.

A/1 = Boston

B/2 = New York City

C/3 = Philadelphia

D/4 = Cleveland

E/5 = Richmond, Va.

F/6 = Atlanta

G/7= Chicago

H/8 = St. Louis

I/9= Minneapolis

J/10 = Kansas City

K/11 = Dallas

L/12 = San Francisco.

Start yourself a Comic Book collection - Buy Comic Books

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Comic Book Collecting - Starting a collection

With Comic book - Superhero Movies bringing a reemergence of Superhero interest many people may be thinking about buying, selling and collecting comic books, so here is a short guide on starting. Have fun and find a local store that participates in Free Comic Book day to pick up your first comic book for free.

Start with 1 or 2 comic heroes, villains or teams (X-Men, JLA) that you have an affinity for. I personally enjoy Batman and Punsiher as they do not have any powers and so could theoretically be real life heroes/vigilantes. After you have chosen a comic character you enjoy, realize, just like the movies that do not always have the same story lines, neither do the comic books. There are alternate universes so just because one comic series has one story of who killed Bruce Wayne's parents for example, another series may infer it was another villain. So unless you have a specific story line you wish to follow, it may be better to start with a subscription to the recent issues for example the DC Comics The New 52 series. One daunting issue concerning new collectors is the high issue numbers of long-time ongoing series'. When you want to read a book about a particular character you may feel like you are coming in too late.

At this point you may begin running into cross-overs. Where Punisher for example is is introduced in the Spiderman series or Wolverine in the hulk. Now you are learning more about the universe and may pick up another hero or two you want to follow. Or even run into a fact about the character you wish to know more about and want to begin catching up on the back-story that you have missed. This is where the interest in a hero can become the beginning of an actual comic book collection. You will want to go to your neighborhood comic book store and ask the clerk if they have issue relating to a specific series of events that have peaked your interest.

Now not all older comics are worth something, so you should be able to get some back issues for about the same price as the current release issues. This is also the point where you go from reading to collecting and storing. You may even spend a chunk of change on a back issue that has peaked your interest, especially if you are trying to get an issue of a character's first appearance. This is when you decide if it is just an interest or going to be a hobby and collection. You do not want to spend $20 dollars on a back issue and not take the proper steps to protect it with bags and boards allowing it to continue to increase in value rather than becomes torn and money down the drain.

If it is just an interest, a cheaper way to catch up on story lines is to collect Trade Paper Backs (sometimes referred to as TPBs). Trade Paper Backs are reprinted collections of issues and can be purchased new or used. If you are more interested in reading comic books and less interested in collecting comic books digital comics are becoming a nice alternative. Some comic book publishers such as Marvel and DC are now put digital copies of their books online, some can even be read for free.

Comic Book Care

Caring for you comic books is important if you ever want to pass them on to your children or even resell them at a profit (or at least what you paid) in a few years. The easiest way is to purchase boxes, bags and boards for you comic books from the comic book store. You also do not want your comics to sit in a garage or non temperature controls storage location as heat will brown the pages and make the comic books fragile. Store your boxes in a air conditioned location like a closet or cooled storage unit.

Comic book database

Take note of each comic books that you buy, easiest way is with a spreadsheet application on your computer. Keep track of your collection, noting the publisher, date, cover price, collector's estimated value, title and any notes of interest (like "batman gets his back broken"). Mycomichop.com also gives you the ability to keep track of your collection and even sell off issues.

Be cheap as a beginner

Be on the lookout for cheap comics: some places where you may find deals on comics in a variety of ages and conditions are yard sales, swap meets, and flea markets. Be careful at these places because they are also places you might have buyers remorse. If you are still new to comic books and do not understand comic book grading, or do not have an idea of what comics from different ages might be worth. Take a smart phone with you and go to Mycomicshop.com and look up what you are looking at before laying money down. Also mind the condition, as worn comics lose value just like action figures removed from packaging. Such salesmen may not be bad people, they just may think this is 15 years old so it has to be worth something and if you are buying it they may assume you know it's value. Do not be afraid to make an offer that you see as fair. If you are collecting for your own personal reading enjoyment you probably don't want to be spending more than a dollar per back issue on comics. However, if you are looking for a collection to grow in value, you must watch what you buy and spend wisely.

Comic book conventions

Attend a comic book convention:
Doing so will allow you to interact with other comic book collectors and maybe to make a friend or two sharing the same interest of a character. Here you will have the opportunity to meet the writers and artists of your favorite comic books in person, maybe even a signature. This brings up a debate of having the comic book signed or just the plastic protective bag. This depends on who you plan on reselling to later. Some people feel the signature defaces the comic and others feel it increases the value. Some people also want the book, but are not willing to pay the extra added cost of being signed.

Growing a collection of value

Look for first appearances of characters. Historically, the more valuable comic books are those that featured the first appearance of character:

    Action Comics #1 (1938): Superman's first appearance.
    Flash Comics #1 (1940): First appearance of the Flash and Hawkman
    Batman #1 (1940): Introduced Robin and arch-vilian the Joker.
    Superman #1 (1939): The first comic book named after the superhero.

They do not have to be issue #1 either:

    Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962): Spider-Man's first appearance.
    Detective Comics #27 (1939): Batman's first appearance.
    The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974) Punisher's first appearance.
    Incredible Hulk #180/181 (1974) Wolverine's first appearance.   

Older comic books are more valuable than newer comics:

Age and  rarity play a big part as well, Comics less than 20 years old are usually less valuable.

The Golden Age (1933 to 1955): The Golden Age of comics began around Action Comics #1. These comics are typically 4-color comics 48-64 pages in length.

The Silver Age (1956 to 1969): Silver Age of comics began around the premiere of Barry Allen (the second Flash) in Showcase #4. Silver Age comics are 32 to 48 page 4-color comics.

The Bronze Age (1970 to 1985): With comic heroes like Green Arrow's sidekick dealing with drug issues (Green Lantern/Green Arrow #5) and Iron Man confronting alcohol (Iron Man #128), many of these comics confronted social issues along with villains.

Building a Valuable Comic Book Collection – Expert Tips for Beginners

If you're serious about comic book collecting, it's essential to understand how to spot valuable issues, properly store your comics, and strategically invest in key editions. Many collectors focus on first appearances of iconic superheroes, limited print runs, or issues with major storyline shifts. Classic key issues like Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spider-Man's first appearance), The Incredible Hulk #181 (Wolverine's debut), and Detective Comics #27 (Batman’s introduction) are highly sought after in the collector’s market. Additionally, keeping comics in mint condition by using acid-free bags, boards, and climate-controlled storage can significantly increase their future value. Whether you're collecting for passion, profit, or nostalgia, knowing where to find rare issues—through comic book stores, conventions, online marketplaces, and estate sales—can help you build a worthy and valuable comic book collection over time.

Sirens of Treasure Island - Pirate Show Permanently Closed

The Sirens of Treasure Island show is closed but the Pirate Ships will remain after the area in front of TI (Treasure Island) is remodeled.

Most of the Las Vegas Casino Resorts have an attraction to draw crowds in. For example, the Volcano at the Mirage, the Fountains of Bellagio, the Fall of Atlantis at Caesars Forum Shops or the Circus Show at Circus Circus.

In 1991, Wynn announced plans to create an extension of The Mirage; a Resort and Casino to be known as Treasure Island.

On October 27, 1993 canon fire signified the opening and birth of the $430 million, 2,891 room Treasure Island Hotel Resort and Casino.

Treasure Island opened offering a free family show with the HMS Britannia sailing around the corner at Skull Point to confront pirates from the Hispañiola. They ordered the pirates to surrender, the pirates refused and defended their ship in a swashbuckling battle.

In 2003, the show was rewritten (loosely based off of Homer's "Odyssey") targeting a more adult audience  and called the Sirens of TI. This show entailed a group of sensual and tempting sirens engaging with a band of pirates led by the infamous Blackbeard.

On October 20, 2013, the show was halted for what was said to be a temporary closure until December 26, during construction of retail space.

But this week, Treasure Island announced that the closure was permanent.

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Las Vegas Attractions: The Evolving Entertainment Capital of the World

Las Vegas is constantly evolving, with its iconic casinos and resorts reinventing themselves to stay ahead of the curve. Over the past two decades, several major attractions have closed, been revamped, or replaced with new high-profile experiences. Along with the permanent closure of the Sirens of Treasure Island show, other significant changes include the demolition of the iconic Stardust (2006) and Riviera (2016) to make way for Resorts World and the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion. The beloved Mirage Volcano is set to be removed as the resort transitions into the Hard Rock Hotel, featuring a massive guitar-shaped hotel tower. Meanwhile, Caesars Palace has undergone multiple renovations, and the Fountains of Bellagio continue to mesmerize visitors. Additionally, MSG Sphere at The Venetian—a next-generation entertainment venue—debuted in 2023, redefining immersive experiences with its state-of-the-art LED display and 4D effects. Whether it’s the transformation of classic casinos or the rise of new entertainment hotspots like AREA15, The LINQ Promenade, and Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas remains a must-visit destination, offering a unique blend of nostalgia and modern innovation.