THE $5.01 FELONY

Jail bait.

It is a federal felony to take more than a $5 combination of nickels and pennies out of the United States without a special permit. Doing so could result in imprisonment of up to five years plus a fine up to $10,000.00 plus forfeiture of the coins themselves.

This penalty is not because of some archaic statute from the 1700s; the provision was actually enacted in 2006.

In short, if you keep a coin jar in your Winnebago, you had better leave it behind if you are crossing the border from the USA into Canada or Mexico.