Va. Code » Title 18.2. Crimes and Offenses Generally » Chapter 6. Crimes Involving Fraud » Article 1. Forgery
Virginia Code

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-170 (2026)

Forging coin or bank notes

✓ current as of May 2026
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If any person (1) forge any coin, note or bill current by law or usage in this Commonwealth or any note or bill of a banking company, (2) fraudulently make any base coin, or a note or bill purporting to be the note or bill of a banking company, when such company does not exist, or (3) utter, or attempt to employ as true, or sell, exchange, or deliver, or offer to sell, exchange, or deliver, or receive on sale, exchange, or delivery, with intent to utter or employ, or to have the same uttered or employed as true, any such false, forged, or base coin, note or bill, knowing it to be so, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

Code 1950, § 18.1-94; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 14 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1978–2024 · leading case: Moore v. Commonwealth, 722 S.E.2d 668 (Va. Ct. App. 2012).
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Moore v. Commonwealth, 722 S.E.2d 668 (Va. Ct. App. 2012). · cites it 8× “2-178, three counts of uttering a forged note under Code § 18.2-170, three counts of forgery of a note under Code § 18.”
Nelson v. Commonwealth, 650 S.E.2d 562 (Va. Ct. App. 2007). · cites it 2× “Grella charged Nelson with uttering a forged note under Code § 18.2-170. 2 . This case is styled Marquise Leon Nelson v.”
Campbell v. Commonwealth, 409 S.E.2d 21 (Va. Ct. App. 1991). · cites it 2× “2-169; forging coins, bank notes or currency, Code § 18.2-170; possession of instruments for forging a writing, Code § 18.”
Fitzgerald v. Commonwealth, 246 S.E.2d 899 (Va. 1978). · cites it 4× “Code § 18.2-170(3). For, as was stated in Finn v.”
Stevenson v. Commonwealth, 499 S.E.2d 580 (Va. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 4× “2-169 (forgery of "seal"); Code § 18.2-170 (forgery of "coin or bank notes").”
Carlton v. Commonwealth, 478 S.E.2d 730 (Va. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 4× “1-4017 with the crime of uttering a counterfeit note, a counterfeit bill, or counterfeit money “knowing it to be so,” as established by Code § 18.2-170. The Supreme Court of Virginia has held that proof of knowledge is necessary to support a conviction for violation of the…”
Jeffrey Reeves Joyce, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 26× “Second, they can “fraudulently make any base coin, or a note or bill purporting to be the note or bill of a banking company, when such company does not exist.”
Lawrence Wood, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 3× “2-98; felony forgery of a check, in violation of Code § 18.2-170; felony uttering of a forged check, in violation of Code § 18.”
Levar Donnie Richardson v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2010). · cites it 4× “Levar Donnie Richardson (appellant) appeals from his convictions for uttering, in violation of Code § 18.2-170, and obtaining and attempting to obtain money by false pretenses, in violation of Code §§ 18.”
Campbell v. Com., 409 S.E.2d 21 (Va. Ct. App. 1991). · cites it 2× “2-169; forging coins, bank notes or currency, Code § 18.2-170; possession of instruments for forging a writing, Code § 18.”
Dwayne Ottis Dalton v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “Code § 18.2-170. If any person have in his possession forged bank notes .”
Hawkins v. Commonwealth (Va. 2014). · cites it 3× “Hawkins was indicted in the Circuit Court of the City of Portsmouth for the possession of more than ten forged bank notes, as described in Code § 18.2-170, with the knowledge that they were forged and with the intent to utter or employ them as true.”
Show all 14 citing cases →
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-170(1): 1 case
Jeffrey Reeves Joyce, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2024). “Second, they can “fraudulently make any base coin, or a note or bill purporting to be the note or bill of a banking company, when such company does not exist.”
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-170(2): 1 case
Jeffrey Reeves Joyce, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2024). “Second, they can “fraudulently make any base coin, or a note or bill purporting to be the note or bill of a banking company, when such company does not exist.”
Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-170(3): 3 cases
Fitzgerald v. Commonwealth, 246 S.E.2d 899 (Va. 1978). “Code § 18.2-170(3). For, as was stated in Finn v.”
Jeffrey Reeves Joyce, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2024). “Second, they can “fraudulently make any base coin, or a note or bill purporting to be the note or bill of a banking company, when such company does not exist.”
Levar Donnie Richardson v. Commonwealth of Virginia (Va. Ct. App. 2010). “Levar Donnie Richardson (appellant) appeals from his convictions for uttering, in violation of Code § 18.2-170, and obtaining and attempting to obtain money by false pretenses, in violation of Code §§ 18.”
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