Is It Illegal to Burn, Write On or Destroy Money?

Short answer: It depends on the country and the kind of damage.

United States

The key law is 18 U.S.C. § 333, which makes it a crime to mutilate, cut, deface, disfigure or perforate a bank note, or to do anything that makes it unfit to be reissued, with intent to render it unfit to be reissued. The penalty is a fine, up to six months in prison, or both.

The intent requirement matters. People have publicly burned money as protest or art without being charged, and stamping or writing on bills (like the "Where's George?" tracking project) is common and rarely prosecuted. But burning money is still legally risky, and it's a pure loss: a destroyed note is gone, while a damaged one can sometimes be redeemed.

Coins are covered separately. 18 U.S.C. § 331 makes it a crime to fraudulently alter or deface coins, and Treasury regulations restrict melting down pennies and nickels or exporting them in bulk. Flattening a penny in a souvenir machine is fine, because it isn't fraudulent and the coin isn't being passed off as currency.

Defacing money to deceive someone, such as altering a $1 bill to look like a $20, is counterfeiting and a serious federal felony.

Canada

Canada's laws focus on coins:

• The Currency Act, section 11, says nobody may melt down, break up or use a current coin for anything other than currency without a licence.
• The Criminal Code, section 456, makes it an offence to deface a current coin.

There's no equivalent offence for burning or writing on Bank of Canada notes, so doing so isn't a crime, though the Bank of Canada discourages it. Making a reproduction of a bank note can be an offence under Criminal Code section 457.

United Kingdom

• Bank notes: Under the Currency and Bank Notes Act 1928, section 12, it's an offence to deface a Bank of England note by printing, stamping, or otherwise impressing words, letters or figures on it. Burning a note isn't covered, so it isn't an offence. The art duo the K Foundation famously burned £1 million in 1994 without being charged.
• Coins: The Coinage Act 1971, section 10, makes it an offence to melt down or break up any metal coin that is legal tender, without a licence.

Australia

Australia is the strictest of the four. The Crimes (Currency) Act 1981, section 16, makes it an offence to wilfully deface, disfigure, mutilate or destroy a current coin or note without the Reserve Bank's permission. That covers burning, writing on, or cutting up money.

What to do with damaged money

If money gets damaged by accident (fire, water, a washing machine), you can usually get it replaced:

• US: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing redeems mutilated currency for free.
• Canada: The Bank of Canada assesses damaged notes and can pay their value.
• UK: The Bank of England has a mutilated notes service.
• Australia: Take it to your bank, which can submit it to the Reserve Bank under its damaged banknotes policy.

Sources

• 18 U.S.C. § 333
• 18 U.S.C. § 331
• Currency Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-52
• Criminal Code of Canada, ss. 456–457
• Currency and Bank Notes Act 1928 (UK)
• Coinage Act 1971, s. 10 (UK)
• Crimes (Currency) Act 1981 (Cth)
• Bureau of Engraving and Printing: Mutilated currency