Silver Surfer Coins Illegal, Says U.S. Mint

The folks behind Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer have come up with a new promotion for the flick. They've put the Surfer on quarters. Twentieth Century Fox and The Franklin Mint collaborated to alter 40,000 U.S. quarters. The problem with this is that the U.S. Mint was not aware of the plan. They issued a news release on Friday to inform both the studio and the mint that it is against the law to alter these coins. The law prohibits the use of coins as advertising vehicles, and fines are applicable to violators.

The coins altered were California state quarters from 2005. They are set for release at the end of Memorial Day weekend and feature Washington's likeness on the front as usual but a colorized version of the Silver Surfer on the back. Eight hundred were released to each state. The plan was for fans to locate these quarters and enter an online contest for prizes and a private screening of Fantastic Four 2. Most of The Franklin Mint's output is collectibles or commemorative medallions. The head of The Franklin Mint, Moshe Malamud, stresses that the integrity of the coins has not been altered by the modifications. He said that the goal was to "enhance the coin."