diff --git a/examples/basecoin/app/app_test.go b/examples/basecoin/app/app_test.go
index 4958240b5..65aff3af9 100644
--- a/examples/basecoin/app/app_test.go
+++ b/examples/basecoin/app/app_test.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ var (
 	addr4     = priv4.PubKey().Address()
 	coins     = sdk.Coins{{"foocoin", 10}}
 	halfCoins = sdk.Coins{{"foocoin", 5}}
+	manyCoins = sdk.Coins{{"foocoin", 1}, {"barcoin", 1}}
 	fee       = sdk.StdFee{
 		sdk.Coins{{"foocoin", 0}},
 		0,
@@ -73,6 +74,15 @@ var (
 			bank.NewOutput(addr1, coins),
 		},
 	}
+
+	sendMsg5 = bank.SendMsg{
+		Inputs: []bank.Input{
+			bank.NewInput(addr1, manyCoins),
+		},
+		Outputs: []bank.Output{
+			bank.NewOutput(addr2, manyCoins),
+		},
+	}
 )
 
 func loggerAndDBs() (log.Logger, map[string]dbm.DB) {
@@ -131,6 +141,48 @@ func TestMsgs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSortGenesis(t *testing.T) {
+	logger, dbs := loggerAndDBs()
+	bapp := NewBasecoinApp(logger, dbs)
+
+	// Note the order: the coins are unsorted!
+	coinDenom1, coinDenom2 := "foocoin", "barcoin"
+
+	genState := fmt.Sprintf(`{
+      "accounts": [{
+        "address": "%s",
+        "coins": [
+          {
+            "denom": "%s",
+            "amount": 10
+          },
+          {
+            "denom": "%s",
+            "amount": 20
+          }
+        ]
+      }]
+    }`, addr1.String(), coinDenom1, coinDenom2)
+
+	// Initialize the chain
+	vals := []abci.Validator{}
+	bapp.InitChain(abci.RequestInitChain{vals, []byte(genState)})
+	bapp.Commit()
+
+	// Unsorted coins means invalid
+	err := sendMsg5.ValidateBasic()
+	require.Equal(t, sdk.CodeInvalidCoins, err.ABCICode(), err.ABCILog())
+
+	// Sort coins, should be valid
+	sendMsg5.Inputs[0].Coins.Sort()
+	sendMsg5.Outputs[0].Coins.Sort()
+	err = sendMsg5.ValidateBasic()
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	// Ensure we can send
+	SignCheckDeliver(t, bapp, sendMsg5, []int64{0}, true, priv1)
+}
+
 func TestGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 	logger, dbs := loggerAndDBs()
 	bapp := NewBasecoinApp(logger, dbs)
diff --git a/examples/basecoin/types/account.go b/examples/basecoin/types/account.go
index f34113fc6..35b37c7b2 100644
--- a/examples/basecoin/types/account.go
+++ b/examples/basecoin/types/account.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func NewGenesisAccount(aa *AppAccount) *GenesisAccount {
 	return &GenesisAccount{
 		Name:    aa.Name,
 		Address: aa.Address,
-		Coins:   aa.Coins,
+		Coins:   aa.Coins.Sort(),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func NewGenesisAccount(aa *AppAccount) *GenesisAccount {
 func (ga *GenesisAccount) ToAppAccount() (acc *AppAccount, err error) {
 	baseAcc := auth.BaseAccount{
 		Address: ga.Address,
-		Coins:   ga.Coins,
+		Coins:   ga.Coins.Sort(),
 	}
 	return &AppAccount{
 		BaseAccount: baseAcc,
diff --git a/examples/democoin/types/account.go b/examples/democoin/types/account.go
index f34113fc6..35b37c7b2 100644
--- a/examples/democoin/types/account.go
+++ b/examples/democoin/types/account.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func NewGenesisAccount(aa *AppAccount) *GenesisAccount {
 	return &GenesisAccount{
 		Name:    aa.Name,
 		Address: aa.Address,
-		Coins:   aa.Coins,
+		Coins:   aa.Coins.Sort(),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func NewGenesisAccount(aa *AppAccount) *GenesisAccount {
 func (ga *GenesisAccount) ToAppAccount() (acc *AppAccount, err error) {
 	baseAcc := auth.BaseAccount{
 		Address: ga.Address,
-		Coins:   ga.Coins,
+		Coins:   ga.Coins.Sort(),
 	}
 	return &AppAccount{
 		BaseAccount: baseAcc,
diff --git a/types/coin.go b/types/coin.go
index d19d4d854..ab7d863c1 100644
--- a/types/coin.go
+++ b/types/coin.go
@@ -257,7 +257,10 @@ func (coins Coins) Swap(i, j int)      { coins[i], coins[j] = coins[j], coins[i]
 var _ sort.Interface = Coins{}
 
 // Sort is a helper function to sort the set of coins inplace
-func (coins Coins) Sort() { sort.Sort(coins) }
+func (coins Coins) Sort() Coins {
+	sort.Sort(coins)
+	return coins
+}
 
 //----------------------------------------
 // Parsing