ITALIAN'S PENAL CODE
Title VII: CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC FAITH
Chapter I: COUNTERFEITING OF MONEY, PUBLIC
DOCUMENTS, AND OFFICIAL STAMPS
Article 453 – Counterfeiting of money,
spending and introduction into the State of counterfeit
money, in concert with others.
It is punishable by three to twelve years imprisonment
and by a fine from one to six million; 1) Anyone
who forges national and foreign currency with legal
tender status, inside or outside the State; 2) anyone
who alters legal currency in order to make it appear
of a higher value; 3) anyone who, even if not contributing
to counterfeiting or altering money, in concert
with people that do it, that is to say an intermediary,
introduces, spends or puts into circulation counterfeit
or altered money; 4) anyone who buys, or in any
case receives from people counterfeiting it, that
is to say an intermediary, counterfeit or altered
money.
Article 455 – Spending or introduction
into the State of counterfeit money, not in concert
with others.
Anyone who, with the exception of the cases referred
to in the previous articles, introduces into the
State, purchases or is in possession of counterfeit
or altered money, in order to put it into circulation,
for example by spending it, is punishable by the
same punishment referred to in the aforementioned
articles reduced from one third to the half.
Article 457 – Spending of counterfeit
money received in good faith.
Anyone who spends or puts into circulation counterfeit
or altered money, that he/she has received in good
faith, is punishable by imprisonment up to six months
and by a fine up to two million.
Article 459 – Forgery of official
stamps, introduction into the State, purchase, possession
or putting into circulation of forged official stamps.
The provisions of articles 453, 455 and 457 are
applicable also to the counterfeiting or to the
alteration of official stamps and to the introduction
into the State, purchase, possession and putting
into circulation of forged official stamps; punishment
is reduced by one third. According to the criminal
law, with “official stamps” it is intended
stamp-impressed papers, revenue stamps, postage
stamps, and all other values placed by special laws
on the same footing with these.
Article 460 – Counterfeiting of watermarked
paper used for the production of public papers and
official stamps.
Anyone who forges watermarked paper used for the
production of public papers and official stamps,
that is to say purchases, is in possession of, or
puts into circulation that paper, is punishable
by two to six years imprisonment and by a fine from
600.000 to two million, if not charged with more
serious offence.
Article 461 – Production or possession
of thread marks or instruments used to counterfeit
money, official stamps or watermarked paper.
Anyone who produces, purchases, is in possession
of or conceals thread marks or instruments used
exclusively to counterfeit or alter money, official
stamps or watermarked paper, is punishable by one
to five years imprisonment and by a fine from 200.000
to one million, if not charged with more serious
offence.
LAW OF OCTOBER 4th 2004, N. 254
Amendment to article 33 as per the Presidential
Decree no. 156 of March 29th 1973 on philatelic
business protection”, published on the Official
Journal n. 242 of October 14th 2004.
Article 1 - to article 33 of the provisions laid
down by law on postal documents, postal financial
services and telecommunications as per the Presidential
Decree n. 156 of March 29th 1973, the following
paragraph was added:
<<If the issues raised by articles
459, 460 and 461 of Penal Code refer to invalidated
stamps, but having had legal tender status, issued
both by the Italian State and by foreign States,
the punishments referred to in the above articles
will be reduced by one third>>
