The reason distruction of dollar bills is illegal is because the government OWES you the money and wrote a note (minted dollar bills) saying that you owned that much of the money, they keep the actual gold. However coins arn't "notes of tender". They are the actual, valuable, material. You completly own them and are free to do what you want with them.
Slashdot Mirror
The reason distruction of dollar bills is illegal is because the government OWES you the money and wrote a note (minted dollar bills) saying that you owned that much of the money, they keep the actual gold. However coins arn't "notes of tender". They are the actual, valuable, material. You completly own them and are free to do what you want with them.