Volume 50 · 663
Public Law 75–660
To prohibit in the District of Columbia the operation of any automatic merchandise vending machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone, or other legal receptacle designed to receive or be operated by lawful coin of the United States of America, or a token provided by the person entitled to the coin contents of such receptacle in connection with the sale, use, or enjoyment of property or service by means of slugs, spurious coins, tricks, or devices not authorized by the person entitled to the coin contents thereof; and to prohibit in the District of Columbia the manufacture, sale, offering for sale, advertising for sale, distribution, or possession for such use of any token, slug, false or counterfeited coin, or any device or substance whatsoever except tokens authorized by the person entitled to the coin contents of such receptacle; and providing a penalty for violation thereof.
Approved August 16, 1937
Statutory text
AN ACT
To prohibit in the District of Columbia the operation of any automatic merchandise vending machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone, or other legal receptacle designed to receive or be operated by lawful coin of the United States of America, or a token provided by the person entitled to the coin contents of such receptacle in connection with the sale, use, or enjoyment of property or service by means of slugs, spurious coins, tricks, or devices not authorized by the person entitled to the coin contents thereof; and to prohibit in the District of Columbia the manufacture, sale, offering for sale, advertising for sale, distribution, or possession for such use of any token, slug, false or counterfeited coin, or any device or substance whatsoever except tokens authorized by the person entitled to the coin contents of such receptacle; and providing a penalty for violation thereof.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That any person who shall operate or cause to be operated, or who shall attempt to operate or attempt to cause to be operated, in the District of Columbia any automatic merchandise vending machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone, or other legal receptacle, designed to receive or be operated by lawful coin of the United States of America or a token provided by the person entitled to the coin contents of such receptacle, in furtherance of or in connection with the sale, use, or enjoyment of property or service, by means of a slug or any false token, counterfeited, mutilated, sweated or foreign coin, or by any means, method, trick, or device whatsoever not authorized by the person entitled to the coin contents of such merchandise vending
Receiving merchandise, etc., a misdemeanor.
machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone, or other legal receptacle; or any person who shall take, obtain, or receive from or in connection with any such merchandise vending machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone, or other legal receptacle described in this section any goods, wares, merchandise, gas, electric current, or other article of value, or the use or enjoyment of any transportation or any telephone or telegraph facilities or service, or of any musical instrument, phonograph, or other property, in the District of Columbia, without depositing in and surrendering to such merchandise vending machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone, or other legal receptacle described in this section lawful coin of the United States of America to the amount required therefor by the person entitled to the coin contents of any such merchandise vending machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone or other legal receptacle, or tokens provided and to the amount required by the person entitled to the coin contents of such legal receptacle, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500
Punishment for.
or by imprisonment not to exceed six months, or by both fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 2.
Any person who, with intent to cheat or defraud the owner,
Manufacturing, etc., fraudulent tokens, etc.
lessee, licensee, or other person entitled to the coin contents of any automatic merchandise vending machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone, or other legal receptacle, designed to receive or be operated by lawful coin of the United States of America or a token provided by the person entitled to the coin contents of such legal receptacle, in furtherance of or in connection with the sale, use, or enjoyment of property or service, or any person who, knowing or having cause to believe that the same is intended for fraudulent or unlawful use on the part of the purchaser, donee, or user thereof, shall manufacture, sell, offer to sell, advertise for sale, give away, or possess, in the District of Columbia, any token, slug, false or counterfeit coin, or any device or substance whatsoever intended or calculated to be placed, deposited, or used in the operation of any such merchandise vending machine, turnstile, coin-box telephone, or other legal
Punishment for.
receptacle shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500 or by imprison ment not to exceed six months, or by both fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 3.
The word “person”, where used in this Act, shall be construed
“Person” construed.
to include any individual, individuals, copartnerships, associations, groups, and corporations.
Approved, August 16, 1937.