COINING in law. The privilege of C. money being an exclusive prerogative of the crown, the crime of counterfeiting the king's money, as it was called, was declared to be treason, both by the common law of England and by many statutes. In Scotland, there continued to be some differences in regard to this crime, even after the union had extended the treason laws of England to that kingdom.
The whole of the legislation on this subject was at length repealed, and a general act passed for the whole kingdom (2 Will. IV. c. 34 By this statute it is enacted—I. That any one who shall fabricate a coin in imitation of a current gold or silver coin—or gild silver, or color any counterfeit gold .9r. silver coin-'-or Shall alter silver coin with intent to make it pass for gold coin—or copper coin, to make it pass for gold or silver coin, shall be punishable with transportation for life, or for a term not less than 7 years, or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 4 years. 2. That any one who shall impair, diminish, or lighten gold or silver coin, shall be punishable with transportation for 7 years, or imprisonment for 3 years. 3. That any one who shall buy, sell, receive, pay, or put off counterfeit gold or silver coin for a lower value than its denomination, or shall import counterfeit gold or silver coin, knowing it to be such, shall be punishable with transportation for life, or 7 years, or with imprisonment for not more than 4 years.
4. The uttering (q.v.) of base coin is punishable with imprisonment for a year. 5. By subsequent clauses, the possession of false money, with intent to utter the same; or of instruments for its fabrication; the conveying such instruments out of the mint with out authority; the fabrication of copper coin, and the altering of current coin so as to make it pass for coin of a higher denomination, are declared to be offenses all of which are visited with punishments resembling those above mentioned.
In order to bring these offenses within the limits of the statute, it is not necessary that the resemblance of the false to the true coin shall be very perfect; but if it be not such as to deceive a person of ordinary observation, the attempt to bring it into circula tion is fraud, and not uttering.