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![handle is hein.crs/goveijm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service
Ii Pnornming the legisIi ive debate sice 1914
Commemorative Coins: An Overview
Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint
pursuant to an act of Congress. These coins celebrate and
honor American people, places, events, and institutions.
Although they are considered legal tender, they are not
minted for general circulation. Instead, they are designed to
be collected and to help designated groups raise money.
The first commemorative coin was authorized in 1892 for
the Columbia Exposition in Chicago. Since 1892, Congress
has authorized 158 new commemorative coins. Between
1954 and 1981, Congress did not authorize any new
commemorative coins. In 1982, Congress restarted the
commemorative coin program when it authorized a
commemorative half dollar to recognize George
Washington's 250th Birthday. Between 1982 and 1996-
when Congress limited the Mint to issuing two coins per
year, for coins minted after January 1, 1999, in an effort to
restrict the number of coins minted each year-the number
of commemorative coins minted was as high as six per year
(1994).
Beginning January 1, 1999, the Secretary may mint
and issue commemorative coins under this section
during any calendar year with respect to not more
than 2 commemorative coin programs.
- 31 U.S.C. §51 12(m)(I)
Auetho ri zing C omme mor ative C oin s
An act of Congress is required to authorize a
commemorative coin. This legislation typically includes
several features. These include
findings that summarize the commemorative subject's
history and importance;
specifications for denominations, weight, and metallic
makeup;
design requirements, including required dates, words,
and/or images;
start and end date for minting coins and any other
limitations;
requirements for selling coins;
coin surcharge and distribution to designated groups;
and
assurances that costs of the coin program are recouped
by the U.S. Mint.
Table 1 lists authorized commemorative coins between
2020 and 2025. No coins were authorized for 2023.
Currently, no coins have yet been authorized for 2025 or
beyond.
Updated August 15, 2022
Table I. Authorized Commemorative Coins
2020-2025
Year
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Commemorative Coin
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Suffrage Centennial
Christa McAuliffe
National Law Enforcement Museum
Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial
Purple Heart Hall of Honor
No Commemorative Coins Authorized
Greatest Generation
Harriet Tubman Bicentennial
[Open]
[Open]
Source: CRS Examination of Public Laws.
Congressional Consideration
In some past Congresses, the House Committee on
Financial Services has adopted a committee rule to prohibit
(1) the scheduling of a subcommittee hearing on
commemorative coin legislation unless two-thirds of the
House cosponsored the measure, or (2) reporting a bill that
did not meet minting regulations under 31 U.S.C. §5112.
This requirement was not included in the committee rules
adopted for recent Congresses. Protocols issued by the
House Majority Leader in the 117th Congress limit the
scheduling of commemorative coin bills. The protocols
state that the Majority Leader shall consider the first three
commemorative coin bills in a Congress that receive 290
cosponsors and are submitted to the Committee on
Financial Services to be scheduled for the Floor.
In recent Congresses, the Senate, Banking, Housing, and
Urban Affairs Committee Rule 8 has required that at least
67 Senators must cosponsor any ... commemorative coin
bill or resolution before consideration by the Committee.
Designing Commemorative Coins
After Congress has authorized a commemorative coin, the
U.S. Treasury begins the process of designing the coin. This
process involves consultation with the Citizens Coinage
Advisory Committee (CCAC) and a design
recommendation by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
(CFA).
Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
Established by P.L. 108-15, the CCAC advises the
Secretary of the Treasury on theme and design of all U.S.
coins and medals. For commemorative coins, the CCAC](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/goveijm0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)