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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 152 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)(1)
Authorizing Commemorative Coins
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
2017 and 2021. Currently, no coins have been authorized
for 2021 or beyond.
Updated February 28, 2019
Table I. Authorized Commemorative Coins
2017-2021
Year
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Commemorative Coin
Lions Club International Foundation
Boys Town
WWI American Veterans
Breast Cancer Awareness
Apollo II 50th Anniversary
American Legion 100th Anniversary
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
[Open]
[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 the 115th and 116th Congresses.
In the Senate, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Committee Rule 8 requires 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
advises the Secretary with regard to events, persons, or
places to be commemorated; the mintage level of coins; and
commemorative coin designs.
The CCAC consists of 11 members appointed by the
Secretary, with four persons appointed upon the
recommendation of the congressional leadership (one each
https://crsreports.congress.gov](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/govxyt0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)