Artist makes solid gold penny then puts it in circulation!!!!!!!

Ok, I just heard about this, and I didn't believe it, but I looked it up, and it's supposedly true, so start checking those pennies!!!!!!!

Here's the website for those who are interested     http://www.gregkucera.com/daws.htm

Counterfeit Penny put in Circulation
American artist Jack Daws puts gold penny in circulation

Los Angeles, California, March 29, 2007 - American artist Jack Daws put one of his sculptures in circulation this week at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). It is no ordinary artwork; it is a copper plated, gold penny.
Daws hired metalsmiths to make a mold of a penny, cast it in 18-karat gold, and then copper plate it. He carried the sculpture in his pocket for months, during which time it developed a brown patina. The artwork looks like a real penny, except due to the casting process, it's slightly smaller, and because of the gold's weight, it's almost twice as heavy.

Daws won't say where he spent the penny - just that he put it in circulation at LAX on the morning of March 28th. Who knows where it wound up at the end of the day? Perhaps it's in your pocket, or your purse.
Anyone interested in looking for the piece - since it has about $100 worth of gold in it - should look for a penny dated 1970, with no mintmark.

Whoever finds the sculpture could sell it for the value of the gold, but they might want to hold onto it. Daws has more of them, and his Seattle art dealer, the Greg Kucera Gallery, is selling them. Prices start at $1000.

When asked if he was concerned about possible criminal charges for counterfeiting, Daws replied, "If they're looking for criminals they should raid the White House and the Capitol."

They couldn't possibly make a counterfieting charge stick anyway

the items real value is 1000% more than face value.

They couldn't possibly make a counterfeiting charge stick anyway

the items real value is 1000% more than face value.

Try telling that to the Secret Service.  The value of the fake is not the point.  The "artist" and his helpers do not have the authority from the government to manufacture coinage.  Therefore, the artist and company are counterfeiters who could go to a federal prison; all things considered.  That may not sound fair, but it is the law.   

A penny placed into circulation at LAX could end anywhere in the world...

Lets assume that a foreign traveler picked the penny up as pocket change...when he gets to wherever home is, it goes into a catch-all drawer to reside forever...being unaware of coin values, weights, and the like...the chances are that it may never surface again.

Now lets assume that I happen to pick the penny up...when my ashtray gets full I immediately roll the coins and drop the rolls into a 5 gallon water bottle to reside until its full...which may be another 10 or so years...then it goes into the bank to bankroll (pun intended) a vacation...again, the penny may never see daylight again for at least 10 years.

Need I go on

I know this is a bit old... but I'm not sure that they can charge you with counterfeiting a penny. According to the U.S. Secret service website:

Anyone who manufactures a counterfeit U.S. coin in any denomination above five cents is subject to the same penalties as all other counterfeiters. Anyone who alters a genuine coin to increase its numismatic value is in violation of Title 18, Section 331 of the United States Code, which is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

So I'm not sure that they have the same laws for pennies.... If you want to look at the page, here's the link:
http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/money_law.shtml

besides it says it is smaller than a penny. to counterfeit something it has to be the same size doesn't it?

Huge bump, someone finally found one...

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/maker-learns-the-fate-of-a-penny-made-of-gold/

If it looks like a penny, how could you ever tell it had gold in it ?