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Many businesses advertise and sell foreign coins within the United States. These foreign coins may be the circulating currency of other nations, rare coinage, or foreign commemorative coins. In some cases, consumers can confuse these foreign coins with U.S. coins.
Foreign coins that are legal tender in Liberia
Do consult with your own attorney before embarking on any distribution or promotion activity involving foreign coins.
Do make it clear in your advertisement and marketing materials that the product offered is a foreign coin.
Some businesses describe foreign coins, especially ones depicting themes drawn from American culture, in such
a way that avoids disclosing the true origin of the coins, resulting in consumer confusion. The United States
Mint frequently receives calls from consumers who purchased foreign coins believing the coins to be genuine
United States coins. Businesses should consider whether they are doing consumers a disservice by failing to
disclose the true origin of the advertised product.
Do be sure to include in your advertisement a photograph of the side of the coin that discloses the
identity of the country in which the advertised coin constitutes legal tender.
More often than not, businesses are featuring a photograph of the obverse of the coin in their advertisements,
omitting a photograph of the reverse of the coin that discloses the identity of the country in which the
advertised coin constitutes legal tender. This practice appears even more questionable in situations where
private businesses in the United States are selling foreign coins, denominated in dollars, and featuring
images drawn from American culture. If you are planning to include a photograph of the foreign coin in your
advertisement, do consider including a photograph of the side that discloses the source of the legal tender
in question.
Do refrain from using the words "Mint" or "Government Mint" in your advertisements.
Businesses often use the words "Mint" and "Government Mint" in their advertisements of
foreign coins. This practice, in light of the concerns outlined above, appears questionable, especially in
view of the existing confusion in the marketplace. Please consider identifying the specific government
mint in question to eliminate any unnecessary confusion.
Do consider advising the consumer regarding the market value of the advertised coin in the originating
country, especially those coins denominated in dollars.
In many instances, businesses are advertising foreign coins denominated in dollars where the official
exchange rate or unofficial street rate is drastically devalued in comparison to United States dollars
(sometimes as low as Foreign$50 = US$1). Businesses should consider disclosing the current official
exchange rate (and unofficial street rate, if applicable) in their advertisements. This need becomes
even more critical in situations where the advertised price of the foreign coin (e.g., US$5.00, US$10.00)
is very close to the stated face value of the foreign coin and consumers could easily assume that the
foreign coin in question could be exchanged for United States dollars on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
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