Sep 21, 2007 | coin design, dollar, legislative, US Mint
The White House announced that President Bush signed H.R. 2358, the “Native Americans $1 Coin Act.” Now the law, it will require the US Mint to issue Sacagawea Dollars with new reverses in commemoration of Native Americans beginning in 2009.
Between the Presidential Dollar coins and the new Sacagawea reverse designs, these coins will continue to be a curiosity to the general public and another entry into collections while the $1 Federal Reserve Note continues to be printed. It is time for the United States to join the rest of the world and eliminate the paper-based unit currency to allow the less expensive coinage to take its place.
Although many understand and accept the reason for discontinuing the $1 note, it will not happen. I will explain why in a future posting.
Sep 12, 2007 | CFA, coin design, coins, legislative, state quarters, US Mint
In the final step before becoming a law, congress presented the president with H.R. 2358, Native American $1 Coin Act, for his signature. Introduced in the House of Representatives by Dale Kildee (D-MI 5th), and expected to be signed by the president, the bill calls for the reverse of the Sacagawea Dollar be redesigned every year to commemorate “of Native Americans and the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and the history of the United States.” The obverse will continue to have the Sacagawea design.
The bill calls for the denomination to be inscribed as “$1,” making it consistent with the Presidential dollars. The bill also calls for the same edge lettering used by the Presidential dollars to include the date and mint mark along with the inscriptions E Pluribus Unum and In God We Trust. As for the reverse designs, the bill calls for the Mint to consult the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the Congressional Native American Caucus of the House of Representatives, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Congress of American Indians, along with the usual bureaucracy of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee to vet the coin design. With the burden of this bureaucracy, the bill changes the start date to January 1, 2009 if enacted after August 25, 2007.
An interesting clause in the bill says that the design are to be issued “in the chronological order in which the Native Americans lived or the events occurred.” Since there is no specific end date to the program, it appears that the bureaucratic hurdles the Mint is being asked to jump for this program will need the extra year to determine a schedule. And if that was not enough, congress, who is not shy in making its own design suggestions, included the following potential designs in the bill:
- the creation of Cherokee written language
- the Iroquois Confederacy
- Wampanoag Chief Massasoit
- the “Pueblo Revolt”
- Olympian Jim Thorpe
- Ely S. Parker, a general on the staff of General Ulysses S. Grant and later head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
- code talkers who served the United States Armed Forces during World War I and World War II
In addition to these new reverses, change to the circulating coinage will include new reverses on the Lincoln cent and Presidential Dollars with the reverses honoring, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor. Non-circulating legal tender coins will include the Abraham Lincoln and Louis Braille commemoratives, special 2009 cent with the original copper composition, and the First Spouse gold coins honoring Anna Harrison, Letitia and, Julia Tyler, Sarah Polk, and Margaret Taylor. Finally, if H.R.392 is passed in the Senate (it passed in the House last January), the 50 State Quarters program will be extended to include the District of Columbia and the five territories.
It looks like 2009 could be a great year in numismatics!
May 16, 2007 | commemorative, legislative
On Tuesday, May 15, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 634, “American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act” by a unanimous 416-0 vote. The bill authorized the the minting of a $1 silver commemorative coin commemorating disabled American Veterans to be issued in 2010. The design of the coin is to be selected by the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation.
The coin will be sold with a $10 surcharge that will be dispensed to the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation so that an endowment can be established to support the construction of American Veterans’ Disabled for Life Memorial. The National Capital Planning Commission has selected (PDF) a location at Washington Avenue (Canal Street) and Second Street SW in Washington, DC for the memorial.
The enrolled bill will be sent to the Senate for consideration. If it passes the Senate without modification, it will be sent to the President for his signature.
Dec 12, 2006 | coins, legislative
The end of the 109th Congress brought a flurry of actions from both chambers as the members were looking to return home for the holidays. Many of the bills considered “non-substanative” was passed by voice vote. One of those bills was H.R. 3885, District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act, sponsored by DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
H.R. 3885 was introduced to extend the program one year to to honor the District of Columbia and the territories: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Residents of these areas are US citizens and do pay federal taxes. Each adds their own part to the American culture, they should have a quarter to commemorate for when they became a territory. It could make the 2009 set one of the most beautiful one-year series of the entire program.
At the close of the session, in the early hours of Saturday, December 9, the House of Representatives passed the bill by unanimous consent and sent the bill to the Senate. The Senate adjourned shortly thereafter and never considered the bill.
Bills introduced in the 109th Congress do not carry over to the 110th Congress which is scheduled to convene on January 4, 2007. Del. Norton has indicated that she will reintroduce the bill at the beginning of the new congress.
Nov 8, 2006 | coins, legislative
Now that the election is over and all that is left is the counting in two key senate races, it is time to consider what this will do for numismatic-related legislation. The 109th congress was very busy over the last two years. However, with a lame duck session of congress beginning next week with no passed budget, numismatic-related bills are finished for this year.
By rule, all legislation not enacted into law does not carry over into the next congress. So any bill that is active in the 109th congress, they would have to be re-introduced during the 110th congress for consideration. While some of these bills were originally introduced by representatives looking to curry favor with their voters back home, there are a few that have a chance in the next congress.
When the ten 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles that once belonged to Israel Switt were confiscated from one of his decedents, there was a move by congress to try to create a law that would define what was legal tender and what was not. Rep. Frank Lewis (R-OK) introduced the Numismatic Rarities Certainty Act of 2006 (H.R. 5077) to help determine the legality of other coins and patterns not “officially” considered US Government property, even though the Mint has not pursued those coins. Although the bill is still in committee, there is no reason to think that this will not be brought up again.
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) introduced the Currency Overhaul for an Industrious Nation (COIN) Act (H.R. 5818) late in the second session. It is a sweeping piece of legislation that seeks to stop circulating cents by codifying rounding for cash transactions, eliminates the one-dollar paper currency in favor of coinage, re-introduces the $2 for circulation, along with other changes. Since the bill was introduced in August, there is no chance of this being resolved in this congress. There are some provision that are promising and will be brought again.
Two commemoratives that passed where they were introduced are certain to be re-introduced. The NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 68) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of these institutions with a $50 gold and $1 silver coins in 2008 was passed in the House. Also, the American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act (S. 633) was passed in the Senate and specifies the issuing of two $1 silver commemorative dollars with the proceeds helping fund the construction of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.
One more bill I would like to mention that did pass in the Senate but probably has little chance of being re-introduced in 2007. The Theodore Roosevelt Commemorative Coin Act (S. 863) was to honor the 100th anniversary of our 26th President being the first sitting president to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. Although it passed the senate, the current state of politics in this country and that this year was the century anniversary makes this bill a long shot.
Congratulations to all of the winners and I hope you do what is right for the nation as well for all of us interested in numismatics.
Oct 17, 2006 | coins, legislative
The White House announced today that President Bush signed H.R. 4902, the “Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act” authorizing the award of “a congressional gold medal to Byron Nelson in Recoginition of his contributions to the game of golf as a player, a teacher, and a commentator.” This bill allows for the minting of duplicate medals in gold and bronze at a price and quantity set by the Secretary of the Treasury. Procedes will be used to cover the cost of minting with the balance deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Sep 28, 2006 | coins, legislative
The White House announced that on September 27, President George W. Bush signed two numismaic-related bills into law: H.R.2808, the “Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act” and S.2784, the “Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act,” which provides for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama.
H.R.2808 authorizes the minting of 50,000 90-percent silver coins with a nominal value of $1 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s bithday. The coins will be minted and issued in 2009 and “be emblematic of the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln.” Sale of these coins will include a $10 surchage that will be paid to “the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to further the work of the Commission.”
S.2784 is an act “[t]o award a congressional gold medal to Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious understanding.” The act calls for the creation of the gold medal and allows the US Mint to sell duplicate bronze medals as collectibles. The proceeds of the sale will be paid to the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Jul 28, 2006 | coins, legislative
Yesterday, July 27, the White House announced that President George W. Bush signed H.R. 2872, Louis Braille Bicentennial-Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act (Public Law number not available at this time) to commemorate Louis Braille’s accomplishments on the 200th anniversary of his birthday. The law calls for the minting of no more than 400,000 commemorative $1 coins made of 90-percent.
The law prescribes the obverse will have a portrait of Braille and the “reverse shall emphasize Braille literacy and shall specifically include the word for Braille in Braille code (the Braille capital sign and the letters Brl) represented in a way that substantially complies with section 3 of Specification 800 of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress specifications for Braille, and is tactilely indiscernible from printed or written Braille.” It requires the designers to work with the National Federation for the Blind on the design.
When this commemorative is released in 2009, its price will include a $10 surcharge that will be given to the National Federation for the Blind “to promote Braille literacy.”
It looks like 2009 will be a busy year. In addition to this commemorative, 2009 will include the Lincoln Cent circulating commemoratives and the new presidential dollar series begins along with the first lady commemoratives (Public Law 109-145 [GPO: text, pdf]). Also, the Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act (S.811) has been passed by the Senate and is awaiting for the House to act upon H.R.2808 before the bill can be sent to the President for approval.
Jun 16, 2006 | coins, legislative
On Thursday, June 15, 2006, the White House announced that President George Bush signed H.R.1953, San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act, into law. Now as Public Law 109-230, [GPO: text/pdf] the US Mint has until the end of this year to design, strike, and sell these commemoratives. This will be a real test for the Mint and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) bureaucracies.
Jun 10, 2006 | coins, legislative
I was updating the Bloglinks (see Numismatic Links in the sidebar) when I clicked on the link for H.R.1953, San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act, and found that it has been enrolled after being passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate. Once a bill has been enrolled, it is sent to the President for action. This bill is likely to be signed by President Bush.
The Act “require[s] the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the Old Mint at San Francisco, otherwise known as the ‘Granite Lady’.” The bill specifies that the design will represent the San Francisco Old Mint Building and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The bill calls for 100,000 $5 coins be minted using a 90-percent gold alloy along with 500,000 $1 coins be made from a 90-percent silver alloy. Coins will be offered in proof and uncirculated qualities and requests that the coins be struck “at the San Francisco Mint to the greatest extent possible.”
Sales of the commemoratives will include a $35 surcharge for the gold coin and $10 for each silver coin. Proceeds will be distributed to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society to rehabilitate “the Historic Old Mint in San Francisco as a city museum and an American Coin and Gold Rush Museum.” It has a potential to raise $8.5 million for the project.
This bill is going to put the system to a real test. Unless the US Mint has been preparing for this bill’s passage, the bill says that the coins can be issued “only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1, 2006.” Not only does the Mint have to make at least one design, but the design must be approved by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). It appears that both groups meet during the third week of the month. It may take as little as three months for the design to be approved before die making and production begins.
With such a short time period to move the bureaucracy, the numismatic community should be prepared for the varieties and errors as the Mint rushes to have these coins minted and sold by the end of this year.
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