So Disney has been encouraging criminal activity with its pressed penny machines for years? :shrug:
No. And there's notices on each and every pressed penny machine telling you why it's within rights. So long as you are pressing the coins for collecting purposes and are not defacing it in such a way as to pass it off fraudulently, you are permitted to use it in whatever manner you wish.
This also explains it:
Is it legal?
The United States Codes under Title 18, Chapter 17, and Section 331, "prohibits the mutilation, diminution and falsification of United States coinage." However, this statute does not prohibit the mutiliation of coins if done without fraudulent intent or use. In other words, YES, it's LEGAL!
From the Department of the Treasury, 31 CFR Part 82, Prohibition on the Exportation, Melting, or Treatment of 5-Cent and One-Cent Coins:
82.2 (1) The exportation in any one shipment of 5-cent coins and one-cent coins having an aggregate face value of not more than $100 that are to be legitimately used as money or for numismatic purposes.
82.2 (2) (b) The prohibition contained in Sec. 82.1 against the treatment of 5-cent coins and one-cent coins shall not apply to the treatment of these coins for educational, amusement, novelty, jewelry, and similar purposes as long as the volumes treated and the nature of the treatment makes it clear that such treatment is not intended as a means by which to profit solely from the value of the metal content of the coins.
In other words, as long as elongated coins are used for legitimate numismatic purposes, the prohibition on treating coins (elongating them) does not apply. Collecting, trading and selling elongated coins are legitimate numismatic purposes. No more than 10,000 coins ($100 face value on pennies, 2,000 nickels is $100 face value) may be shipped at one time, assuming they are US coins. Additional protections come in under section 82.2 (2) (b) because novelty, educational, amusement, jewelry and similar purposes apply as well. There cannot be a sole purpose of profiting from the metal content, but since the elongation of the coin is the primary issue whereby the coin may gain additional numismatic value, this won't apply.
As far as $1 coins are concerned...
The United States has minted $1 coins for years. They've also been trying to eliminate $1 paper bills for years because of the cost of printing $1 bills for circulation and the lifespan of said $1 bills is so short, coins make more sense. The problem is that they have yet to decrease the $1 bill printing and haven't encouraged vending machines and retailers to use them, making most people unaware they exist. A huge retailer like Disney would be a great boon to getting people more comfortable with and more familiar with the idea of carrying $1 coins.
As already noted, Canada ONLY has $1 and $2 coins - no bills at all. It's not as big of a deal to use as it might seem. Like anything, it's just getting used to something different.
See this article for more information about how the US Government keeps trying to get more acceptance for the $1 coin:
http://www.coinnews.net/2008/08/22/new-us-mint-1-coin-campaign-doomed-to-fail-4344/
