Sending cash through the mail (idea)

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and what follows is not legal advice. It is my humble, civilian, undergraduate-philosophy-student opinion. If you want a legal opinion, hire a lawyer.

Even before learning of the widespread belief among postal customers—and bafflingly, inexcusably, inexplicably, postal employees themselves—that it is "a felony to mail cash", I never would have trusted the US postal system with anything important. But having heard that some postal employees believe it to be "a felony to mail cash", I looked into it, and now that I've done so, I am even less willing to deal with the USPS, on the few occasions that I have the choice.

That's because unless I am missing something really important;

It is NOT a felony to mail cash; it ain't even a misdemeanor.

According to the United States Postal Service web site, under the Frequently Asked Questions section, it is perfectly permissible to send cash through the mail, to wit:

Q: Can I mail cash?

A: You may send cash through the mailing system. However, we recommend using personal checks or money orders when transmitting funds for any reason. If you prefer to send cash you should take advantage of our registry service, which provides maximum security and indemnity against loss.

The USPS is a government corporation, endeavoring to turn a profit. It is also free of competition when it comes to regular letters, and so, it is in some ways a monopoly. Perhaps the USPS is not sufficiently motivated to dispell this mythical law which seems to circulate authoritatively among its employees, as its existence would doubtlessly support the sale of USPS money orders. (On the other hand, they could make even more money by selling registered mail services, so the only thing I can think of to explain the persistence of the myth is ignorance. Or maybe postal employees don't have the same access to the internet that I have?)

Although it really isn't a good idea to mail cash—I mean, do you really want to trust those people?!—I still can't find any legitimate evidence that it is illegal. A Google search just turns up repeated incantations of the same urban legend, with no reference to specific US or state laws, postal regulations, or policy language. It's kind of a religious belief, if you ask me. Please correct me if you can cite a U.S. law or postal regulation to the contrary.

If your parcel or envelope is refused outright because you've declared that it contains cash, get the name of the clerk, and complain to the Postmaster.