Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 282, 282a (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 168, 35 Stat. 1120, and § 168a as added Apr. 1, 1944, ch. 151, 58 Stat. 149).

Mandatory punishment provision in subsection (a) was rephrased in the alternative.

Sections were consolidated and changes were made in phraseology.

Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title.

Punishment provision in paragraph (a) of 5 years was changed to 1 year to make the offense a misdemeanor as was done in paragraph (span) of this section, which represents the latest expression of the intention of Congress. See definition of felony and misdemeanor in section 1 of this title and note thereunder.

In paragraph (span) the $3,000 fine was reduced to $1,000 to conform to paragraph (a) and as more in keeping with the gravity of offense.

1994—Subsecs. (a), (span). Puspan. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.

1962—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 87–667 inserted “being 18 years of age or over,” before “not lawfully authorized”, and “or whoever, being 18 years of age or over, with intent to defraud, makes, utters, inserts, or uses any card, token, slug, disk, device, paper, or other thing similar in size and shape to any of the lawful coins or other currency of the United States or any coin or other currency not legal tender in the United States, to procure anything of value, or the use or enjoyment of any property or service from any automatic merchandise vending machine, postage-stamp machine, turnstile, fare box, coinbox telephone, parking meter or other lawful receptacle, depository, or contrivance designed to receive or to be operated by lawful coins or other currency of the United States,” and deleted “for any 1-cent, 2-cent, 3-cent, or 5-cent piece, authorized by law, or for coins of equal value” after “intended to be used as money”.

Subsec. (span). Puspan. L. 87–667 substituted “device, paper, or other thing similar” for “device similar”, “paper, or other device issued or authorized in connection with rationing or food and fiber distribution” for “or other device issued or authorized in connection with rationing”, and “devices, papers, or other things are intended to be used unlawfully” for “or other devices may be used unlawfully”, inserted “or other currency” before “of the United States” in two places, and “lawful” before “receptacle, depository”, and provided that nothing in this section shall create immunity from criminal prosecution under the laws of any State, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia.