Importation prohibited; exceptions to prohibition of importation; procedure.
19 C.F.R. § 12.48
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) In accordance with Chapter 25, Title 18, United States Code, any token, disk, or device in the likeness or similitude of any coin of the United States or of a foreign country; counterfeits of coins in circulation in the United States; counterfeited, forged, or altered obligations or other securities of the United States or of any foreign government; or plates, dies, or other apparatus which may be used in making any of the foregoing, when brought into the United States, shall be seized, and delivered to the nearest representative of the United States Secret Service, together with a report of the facts, for appropriate disposition.
(b) In accordance with section 504 of title 18, United States Code, the printing, publishing, or importation or the making or importation of the necessary plates for such printing or publishing for philatelic, numismatic, educational, historical, or newsworthy purposes in articles, books, journals, newspapers, or albums (but not for advertising purposes, except illustrations of stamps and paper money in philatelic or numismatic advertising of legitimate numismatists and dealers in stamps or publishers of or dealers in philatelic or numismatic articles, books, journals, newspapers, or albums) of black and white illustrations of canceled and uncanceled United States postage stamps shall be permitted.
(c) The importation (but not for advertising purposes except philatelic advertising) of motion-picture films, microfilms, or slides, for projection upon a screen or for use in telecasting, of postage and revenue stamps and other obligations and securities of the United States and postage and revenue stamps, notes, bonds, and other obligations or securities of any foreign government, bank, or corporation shall be permitted.
(d) Printed matter of the character described in section 504, title 18, United States Code,
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containing reproductions of postage or revenue stamps, executed in accordance with any exception stated in section 504, or colored reproductions of canceled foreign postage stamps may be admitted to entry. Printed matter containing illustrations or reproductions not executed in accordance with such exceptions shall be treated as prohibited importations. If no application for exportation or assent to forfeiture and destruction is received by the port director within 30 days from the date of notification to the importer that the articles are prohibited, the articles shall be reported to the United States attorney for forfeiture.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-19.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026