Opinion ID: 1833285
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Early Forgery Law.

Text: For over 125 years our forgery statute provided in part: If any person, with intent to defraud, falsely make, alter, forge, or counterfeit any... instrument in writing, being or purporting to be the act of another, by which any pecuniary demand or obligation ... is or purports to be created ... he shall be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary not more than ten years. Iowa Code § 2624 (1851). [1] Under this statute, we expressed our view that forgery is the signing by one without authority, and falsely and with intent to defraud the name of another to an instrument which, if genuine, might apparently be of legal efficacy or the foundation of a legal liability. State v. Thompson, 19 Iowa 299, 303 (1865). We also defined forgery as the false making or materially altering, with intent to defraud, of any writing, which, if genuine might apparently be of legal efficacy, or the foundation of a legal liability. State v. Kendrick, 173 N.W.2d 560, 561 (Iowa 1970) (citations omitted).