History Main / ForeignMoneyIsProofOfGuilt

* There was a variation in ''{{Journeyman}}'' in which an FBI Agent caught on to the fact that Dan Vasser was a time traveller, part of his case being that Vasser was in possession of money from different eras.

* In ''Series/{{Babylon 5}}'' Garibaldi is [[FallGuy framed]] for a bombing, and as part of this Centauri Ducats are planted in his quarters. Somewhat justified in that Ducats seem to be the hard currency of choice for many races.

* In ''[[ThreeHundred 300]]'', Theron is exposed when he is caught with Persian coins. (In RealLife, Persian money was made from precious metals but Spartan money was made from iron; metaphor alert!)
** Actually, he is already dead by that point, but it does serve to convince the assembly that Leonidas was right.
** Sparta didn't mint coins in the Classical period; their currency remained long spits of iron to discourage hoarding wealth, so ''any'' coinage was foreign.

* In the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series, each of the city-states united under Gaius Sextus mints their own coins, which are spent interchangeably. But when the Lady Antillus loses her coin pouch while traveling abroad in the third book, the cutpurse is circumspect about spending his ill-gotten gains, lest his sudden bounty of Antillan coins reveal his guilt.

* This trope collided with PoorCommunicationKills during U.S. Special Forces "Robin Sage" excercise in 2002, a month long war game/ final test for graduating Green Berets where several counties of North Carolina become "The People's Republic of Pineland", complete with police and local government participation. During a traffic stop, a participating Lieutenant and Sergeant attempted to bribe the Sheriff's deputy with "Pineland Don", the official Monopoly-esque currency of the excercise, not realising that the deputy had not been briefed. This [[ItGotWorse led to an escalating series of events]] culminating in the Lt. getting a [[EyeScream full can of mace to the face]] and a fatal gunshot wound, and the Sgt. taking two non-fatal shots in the back while attempting to run to cover with his blank-firing machine gun.

* In ''Series/{{Babylon 5}}'' Garibaldi is framed for a bombing, and as part of this Centauri Ducats are planted in his quarters. Somewhat justified in that Ducats seem to be the hard currency of choice for many races.

TruthInTelevision in that possessing foreign currency was itself a crime in the USSR and some of its satellite countries. In fact, it is a crime in a lot of countries. It's called "currency smuggling,"although you generally have to have quite a LOT of foreign money to run afoul of it. If you're on vacation and bring home a few coins to show your family, you should be OK.

* Variation: In ''[[NightWatch The Day Watch]]'', [[AmnesiacGod Vitaly]] discovers that his bag is full of dollars and immediately thinks he's up to something illegal.
* Averted at least once in Robert Jordan's ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' series. After a man who tried to kill Rand is found to have Tar Valon coins one of the Asha'man [[spoiler: who is a traitor himself]] argues that this is evidence that the Aes Sedai planned it. CoolOldGuy Davram Bashere promptly points out that many men in the area, including Davram himself, have more than a bit of Tar Valon currency.

* In ''[[ASongOfIceAndFire A Feast for Crows]]'', Cersei Lannister discovers one of the jailers who was guarding Tyrion had some gold pieces that might have come from House Tyrell, who were trying to marry their daughter to her son. Since Tyrion had just [[spoiler: murdered their father and escaped after being found guilty for killing Cersei's other son, Joffrey]] this made her suspect the Tyrell's had bribed the jailer to free Tyrion, even though Lord Tyrell wanted Tyrion dead since his daughter could have died at his hands.

* In the XWingSeries, an evil scientist is captured by the New Republic and bargains with them, hoping to spill secrets in return for amnesty, anonymity, and half a million credits. They're the good guys, so she gets it, but the man dealing with her is a Twi'lek who deliberately infuriates her. When he takes her to Coruscant just prior to release she insists repeatedly on Imperial credits, not New Republic ones. The exchange rate's not mentioned[[hottip:*:According to TheThrawnTrilogy by TimothyZahn (written earlier but set at a later time), as the New Republic and Empire are at war, and the Empire does not recognize the New Republic as a legitimate government, there ''is'' no official exchange rate]], but she does have a permit to carry that much. Then Coruscant security searches her, finds half a million Imperial credits, and arrests her, because that is illegal. The Twi'lek (who's also a trained lawyer) happily informs her that because she was caught [[FramingTheGuiltyParty trying to smuggle it into the capital]] the likely charge will be sedition and a mandatory life sentence, neatly preventing her from walking off and selling enemy her evil science skills under a new name. Given the fact that half a million credits is a shit load of money and Coruscant had just recently been taken by the New Republic this is a fairly legitimate crime. The Twi'lek did give her [[AreYouSureYouWantToDoThat plenty of opportunity to change her mind, though]].

* Averted at least once in Robert Jordan's ''WheelOfTime'' series. After a man who tried to kill Rand is found to have Tar Valon coins one of the Asha'man [[spoiler: who is a traitor himself]] argues that this is evidence that the Aes Sedai planned it. CoolOldGuy Davram Bashere promptly points out that many men in the area, including Davram himself, have more than a bit of Tar Valon currency.

* In ''{{Adam-12}}'', a soldier at the LosAngeles airport coming home from Japan claims to have been robbed. The alleged pickpocket says it's his money. The cop, looking at it, points out that ''Japanese Yen spends pretty hard here.''

* In ''{{Castle}}'', a victim is suspected to be a spy involved in something highly questionable when his car is discovered with a large quantity of Euros in the trunk. [[spoiler: Subverted -- the victim was ''actually'' on a 'spy vacation' and the Euros were part of the game.]]

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* In ''TheMasterAndMargarita'' there was a guy who got arrested because the police found foreign currency in his apartment; he had accepted a bribe from {{Satan}}, but in roubles. Woland/Satan then anonymously called the police, who found the currency, now mysteriously American dollars.

* In ''[[ASongOfIceAndFire A Feast for Crows]]'', Cersei Lannister discovers one of the jailers who was guarding Tyrion had some gold pieces that might have come from House Tyrell, who were trying to marry their daughter to her son. Since Tyrion had just [[spoiler: murdered their father and escaped after being found guilty for killing Cersei's other son, Joffrey]] this made her suspect the Tyrell's had bribed the jailer to free Tyrion, even though Lord Tyrell wanted Tyrion dead since his daughter could have died at his hands.

* ''{{Shadowrun}}'' came up with the idea of having the company that hired the shadowrunners pay them in corporate scrip or company stock instead of real money. There are legitimate reasons to do this. However, they apparently didn't consider that if the shadowrunners were caught after being paid, their having the company's scrip or stock would be a dead giveaway that that company was behind the shadowrun.

<<|CrimeAndPunishmentTropes|>>
<<|MoneyTropes|>>

* In the XWingSeries, an evil scientist is captured by the New Republic and bargains with them, hoping to spill secrets in return for amnesty, anonymity, and half a million credits. They're the good guys, so she gets it, but the man dealing with her is a Twi'lek who deliberately infuriates her. When he takes her to Coruscant just prior to release she insists repeatedly on Imperial credits, not New Republic ones. The exchange rate's not mentioned[[hottip:*:According to TheThrawnTrilogy by TimothyZahn (written earlier but set at a later time), as the New Republic and Empire are at war, and [[JustifiedTrope the Empire does not recognize the New Republic as a legitimate government]], there ''is'' no official exchange rate, but she does have a permit to carry that much. Then Coruscant security searches her, finds half a million Imperial credits, and arrests her, because that is illegal. The Twi'lek (who's also a trained lawyer) happily informs her that because she was caught [[FramingTheGuiltyParty trying to smuggle it into the capital]] the likely charge will be sedition and a mandatory life sentence, neatly preventing her from walking off and selling enemy her evil science skills under a new name. Given the fact that half a million credits is a shit load of money and Coruscant had just recently been taken by the New Republic this is a fairly legitimate crime. The Twi'lek did give her [[AreYouSureYouWantToDoThat plenty of opportunity to change her mind, though]].

It's also not uncommon for somebody to have foreign money planted in their possessions to make it ''look'' like they did it. Sometimes part of a FalseFlagOperation. Can overlap with YourMoneyIsNoGoodHere.

* In the XWingSeries, an evil scientist is captured by the New Republic and bargains with them, hoping to spill secrets in return for amnesty, anonymity, and half a million credits. They're the good guys, so she gets it, but the man dealing with her is a Twi'lek who deliberately infuriates her. When he takes her to Coruscant just prior to release she insists repeatedly on Imperial credits, not New Republic ones. The exchange rate's not mentioned[[hottip:*:According to TheThrawnTrilogy by TimothyZahn (written earlier but set at a later time), as the New Republic and Empire are at war, and [[JustifiedTrope the Empire does not recognize the New Republic as a legitimate government]], there ''is'' [[YourMoneyIsNoGoodHere no official exchange rate]]]], but she does have a permit to carry that much. Then Coruscant security searches her, finds half a million Imperial credits, and arrests her, because that is illegal. The Twi'lek (who's also a trained lawyer) happily informs her that because she was caught [[FramingTheGuiltyParty trying to smuggle it into the capital]] the likely charge will be sedition and a mandatory life sentence, neatly preventing her from walking off and selling enemy her evil science skills under a new name. Given the fact that half a million credits is a shit load of money and Coruscant had just recently been taken by the New Republic this is a fairly legitimate crime. The Twi'lek did give her [[AreYouSureYouWantToDoThat plenty of opportunity to change her mind, though]].

* In the BBC series ''Series/{{Sherlock}}''. Sherlock suspects a car dealer of having lied about traveling overseas. He sneaks a peak in the man's wallet and sees a Colombian banknote, the final clue he needs to solve the case.

* In ''{{Adam 12}}'', a soldier at the LosAngeles airport coming home from Japan claims to have been robbed. The alleged pickpocket says it's his money. The cop, looking at it, points out that ''Japanese Yen spends pretty hard here.''

* In ''[[BabylonFive Babylon 5]]'' Garibaldi is framed for a bombing, and as part of this Centauri Ducats are planted in his quarters. Somewhat justified in that Ducats seem to be the hard currency of choice for many races.
* In ''{{Adam12}}'', a soldier at the LosAngeles airport coming home from Japan claims to have been robbed. The alleged pickpocket says it's his money. The cop, looking at it, points out that ''Japanese Yen spends pretty hard here.''

* In one episode of BikerMiceFromMars, Lawrence Limburger once tried to rid himself of the mice by framing them. The final evidence against the officer bribed by Limburger was a huge pile of Plutarkian money found on the officer's possession.

* In the BBC series ''{{Sherlock}}''. Sherlock suspects a car dealer of having lied about traveling overseas. He sneaks a peak in the man's wallet and sees a Colombian banknote, the final clue he needs to solve the case.

* In the XWingSeries, an evil scientist is captured by the New Republic and bargains with them, hoping to spill secrets in return for amnesty, anonymity, and half a million credits. They're the good guys, so she gets it, but the man dealing with her is a Twi'lek who deliberately infuriates her. When he takes her to Coruscant just prior to release she insists repeatedly on Imperial credits, not New Republic ones. The exchange rate's not mentioned[[hottip:*:According to TheThrawnTrilogy by TimothyZahn (written earlier but set at a later time), as the New Republic and Empire are at war, and [[JustifiedTrope the Empire does not recognize the New Republic as a legitimate government]], there ''is'' [[YourMoneyIsNoGoodHere no official exchange rate]]]], but she does have a permit to carry that much. Then Coruscant security searches her, finds half a million Imperial credits, and arrests her, because that is illegal. The Twi'lek (who's also a trained lawyer) happily informs her that because she was caught [[FramingTheGuiltyParty trying to smuggle it into the capital]] the likely charge will be sedition and a mandatory life sentence, neatly preventing her from walking off and selling enemy her evil science skills under a new name. Given the fact that half a million credits is a shit load of money and Coruscant had just recently been taken by the New Republic this is a fairly legitimate crime.

* In the XWingSeries, an evil scientist is captured by the New Republic and bargains with them, hoping to spill secrets in return for amnesty, anonymity, and half a million credits. They're the good guys, so she gets it, but the man dealing with her is a Twi'lek who deliberately infuriates her. When he takes her to Coruscant just prior to release she insists repeatedly on Imperial credits, not New Republic ones. The exchange rate's not mentioned, but she does have a permit to carry that much. Then Coruscant security searches her, finds half a million Imperial credits, and arrests her, because that is illegal. The Twi'lek (who's also a trained lawyer) happily informs her that because she was caught [[FramingTheGuiltyParty trying to smuggle it into the capital]] the likely charge will be sedition and a mandatory life sentence, neatly preventing her from walking off and selling enemy her evil science skills under a new name. Given the fact that half a million credits is a shit load of money and Coruscant had just recently been taken by the New Republic this is a fairly legitimate crime.

** Sparta didn't mint coins in the Classical period; their currency remained long spits of iron to discourage hoarding wealth, so ''any'' coinage was by definition foreign.

* Former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern made some unusual deposits to his bank account when he was finance minister -- he claimed that he received IR£16,500 from friends as a loan, and about GB£8,000 as a whipround when he was short on money after his separation. But the sum IR£24,838.49 converts exactly to a GB£25,000 lodgment.

* There is an urban legend of an influencial Soviet man who made a lot of money illegally and converted it to US dollars. However, thanks to his influence, the KGB couldn't even search his house for evidence. He was about to emigrate to the US, and invited many influencial friends to his going-away party, including the American ambassador. After the party, he boarded the plane and left. The KGB search his luggage and find no money. They then search his house and find a large pile of ash. Turns out he had the ambassador witness him burning all his cash and sign an official document that a certain amount of currency was indeed destroyed. All the man had to do was go to the nearest bank in the States and show them the document to get his money back.

TruthInTelevision in that possessing foreign currency was itself a crime in the USSR and some of its satellite countries. In fact, it is a crime in a lot of countries, although you generally have to have quite a LOT of foreign money to run afoul of it. It's called "currency smuggling".