Is photographing money illegal?

Is photographing money illegal?
I understand if one plans on trying to use it as real money.
But what if the photo of the money is mainly for art.

Here is an example of stock photos that includes lots of currency.
www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/currency.html

Thanks, so I guess it's not illegal then, since everybodys doing it.

Far as I know you can photograph money all you want as an art form. Just don't try to spend it.

Larrabee wrote: Thanks, so I guess it's not illegal then, since everybodys doing it.

BY this logic all the downloading of MP3s from torrent sites is legal.

leeway wrote: Far as I know you can photograph money all you want as an art form. Just don't try to spend it.

That is one way of putting it

leeway wrote: Far as I know you can photograph money all you want as an art form. Just don't try to spend it.

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

Larrabee wrote: Thanks, so I guess it's not illegal then, since everybodys doing it.

BY this logic all the downloading of MP3s from torrent sites is legal.

Napster

Technically, yes it is illegal, both in the UK, EU and USA.
Any form of reproduction whether electronic or by other means is contrary to legislation enforced by HM Immigration and Customs in the UK and the Treasury Department in the US.

In practice you'll be OK unless you attempt to 'pass off' that copied image as currency.

I took a few minutes to look it up on the web, as I actually thought it was okay, so long as you didn't try to pass it off as real money. Here's the link to the website I took the information from and a few short paragraphs about the guidelines.

www.secretservice.gov/money_illustrations.shtml

KNOW YOUR MONEY
Illustrations of Currency, Checks or Other Obligations
The law sharply restricts photographs or other printed reproductions of paper currency, checks, bonds, revenue stamps and securities of the United States and foreign governments.

For additional illustrations of U.S. currency visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.



U.S. Currency
The Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992, Public Law 102-550, in Section 411 of Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations, permits color illustrations of U.S. currency provided:

The illustration is of a size less than three-fourths or more than one and one-half, in linear dimension, of each part of the item illustrated


The illustration is one-sided


All negatives, plates, positives, digitized storage medium, graphic files, magnetic medium, optical storage devices, and any other thing used in the making of the illustration that contain an image of the illustration or any part thereof are destroyed and/or deleted or erased after their final use







Other Obligations and Securities

Photographic or other likenesses of other United States obligations and securities and foreign currencies are permissible for any non-fraudulent purpose, provided the items are reproduced in black and white and are less than three-quarters or greater than one-and-one-half times the size, in linear dimension, of any part of the original item being reproduced.

Negatives and plates used in making the likenesses must be destroyed after their use for the purpose for which they were made. This policy permits the use of currency reproductions in commercial advertisements, provided they conform to the size and color restrictions.

Motion picture films, microfilms, videotapes, and slides of paper currency, securities, and other obligations may be made in color or black and white for projection or telecasting. No prints may be made from these unless they conform to the size and color restrictions.


Coins

Photographs, printed illustrations, motion picture film or slides of United States and foreign coins may be used for any purpose.

With few exceptions, existing law generally prohibits the manufacture, sale or use of any token, disk or device in the likeness or similitude of any coins of the United States, or of any foreign country, which are issued as money.