{ "id": "R44623", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "R", "number": "R44623", "active": true, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov, EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress", "retrieved": "2024-06-04T04:04:01.001839", "id": "R44623_21_2024-04-26", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2024-04-26_R44623_5d79649747ff2c6394f89e461bf1e03bd606ca35.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44623/21", "sha1": "5d79649747ff2c6394f89e461bf1e03bd606ca35" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2024-04-26_R44623_5d79649747ff2c6394f89e461bf1e03bd606ca35.html" } ], "date": "2024-04-26", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R44623", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress", "retrieved": "2024-06-04T04:04:01.001205", "id": "R44623_20_2023-02-16", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2023-02-16_R44623_886b527a304429cb322c4b99b6bb5ac3f1293c34.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44623/20", "sha1": "886b527a304429cb322c4b99b6bb5ac3f1293c34" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2023-02-16_R44623_886b527a304429cb322c4b99b6bb5ac3f1293c34.html" } ], "date": "2023-02-16", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R44623", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress", "retrieved": "2024-06-04T04:04:00.999847", "id": "R44623_18_2022-08-15", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2022-08-15_R44623_9f201ad3bb5eccc367eb3b04dbdd2b50207a6a77.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44623/18", "sha1": "9f201ad3bb5eccc367eb3b04dbdd2b50207a6a77" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2022-08-15_R44623_9f201ad3bb5eccc367eb3b04dbdd2b50207a6a77.html" } ], "date": "2022-08-15", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R44623", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress", "retrieved": "2024-06-04T04:04:00.998393", "id": "R44623_16_2021-01-27", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2021-01-27_R44623_3462f7f4bfab32cd85c87e2fa5a1027c0a939dcb.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44623/16", "sha1": "3462f7f4bfab32cd85c87e2fa5a1027c0a939dcb" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2021-01-27_R44623_3462f7f4bfab32cd85c87e2fa5a1027c0a939dcb.html" } ], "date": "2021-01-27", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R44623", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 618997, "date": "2020-02-27", "retrieved": "2020-03-06T17:07:25.492594", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint pursuant to an act of Congress and are often proposed by Members of Congress as part of their representational duties. These coins are legal tender that celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. Overall, 155 commemorative coins have been authorized since 1892. Since 1982, when Congress reinstituted the commemorative program, 94 commemorative coins have been authorized. Since 1998, only two coins may be authorized for any given year. To date, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to be issued through 2021.\nThe issuance of commemorative coins can be broadly divided into two eras: historical coins and modern coins. Historical commemorative coins were those authorized between 1892 and 1954 and generally celebrated anniversaries, public events, or the construction of new memorials. These coins were sold by the government to the sponsor organization, which then resold the coins to the public at a higher price to earn money to support their mission.\nIn 1939, Congress stopped authorizing new coins because a glut of commemorative coins on the market had caused their value to decline, and the U.S. Treasury became concerned that so many coins might facilitate counterfeiting. These sentiments were echoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in 1954 vetoed legislation for a half-dollar honoring the tercentennial of New York City and remarked that \u201clarge quantities [of coins] have remained unsold and have been returned to the mints for melting.\u201d The historical era concluded with the minting of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington half-dollars between 1951 and 1954.\nThe modern commemorative coin era began in 1982, when Congress authorized coins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of George Washington\u2019s birth. Between 1982 and 1997, prior to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (CCRA) of 1996\u2019s statutory limitation of two commemorative coins issued per year, 47 commemorative coins were authorized and minted. Between 1998 and 2019, an additional 43 coins were authorized and minted. Four additional coins have been authorized, two for 2020 and two for 2021.\nCommemorative coin legislation generally has a specific format. Once a coin is authorized, it follows a specific process for design and minting. This process includes consultation and recommendations by the Citizens Coin Advisory Commission (CCAC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), pursuant to any statutory instructions, before the Secretary of the Treasury makes the final decision on a coin\u2019s design. Following the conclusion of a coin program, designated recipient organizations may receive surcharge payments, once the U.S. Mint has recouped all costs associated with producing the coin.\nShould Congress want to make changes to the commemorative coin process, several individual and institutional options might be available. The individual options include decisions made by Members of Congress as to which people, places, events, or institutions should be celebrated; which groups should receive potential surcharge payments; and any specific design requirements Congress might want to request or require. The institutional options could include House, Senate, or committee rules for the consideration of commemorative coin legislation and whether the statutory maximum of two coins minted per year is too many or too few.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44623", "sha1": "5b6c9ea9bdd421bc7b5ec07bfa8b60bc9e0b64c9", "filename": "files/20200227_R44623_5b6c9ea9bdd421bc7b5ec07bfa8b60bc9e0b64c9.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/0.png": "files/20200227_R44623_images_2bc7994e62a4615adcb9cc16d34f65256aaf7fae.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/1.png": "files/20200227_R44623_images_b0cf4a5b606e44d411daead707b587d5725530c3.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/2.png": "files/20200227_R44623_images_525f83cbec567f874dc35a376b91bb4b74516b80.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44623", "sha1": "b9791f9b9f43aef86a6245f889b3d685ef0f68b4", "filename": "files/20200227_R44623_b9791f9b9f43aef86a6245f889b3d685ef0f68b4.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 610626, "date": "2019-12-05", "retrieved": "2019-12-13T15:05:42.233964", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint pursuant to an act of Congress and are often proposed by Members of Congress as part of their representational duties. These coins are legal tender that celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. Overall, 154 commemorative coins have been authorized since 1892. Since 1982, when Congress reinstituted the commemorative program, 93 commemorative coins have been authorized. Since 1998, only two coins may be authorized for any given year. To date, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to be issued through 2021.\nThe issuance of commemorative coins can be broadly divided into two eras: historical coins and modern coins. Historical commemorative coins were those authorized between 1892 and 1954 and generally celebrated anniversaries, public events, or the construction of new memorials. These coins were sold by the government to the sponsor organization, which then resold the coins to the public at a higher price to earn money to support their mission.\nIn 1939, Congress stopped authorizing new coins because a glut of commemorative coins on the market had caused their value to decline, and the U.S. Treasury became concerned that so many coins might facilitate counterfeiting. These sentiments were echoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in 1954 vetoed legislation for a half-dollar honoring the tercentennial of New York City and remarked that \u201clarge quantities [of coins] have remained unsold and have been returned to the mints for melting.\u201d The historical era concluded with the minting of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington half-dollars between 1951 and 1954.\nThe modern commemorative coin era began in 1982, when Congress authorized coins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of George Washington\u2019s birth. Between 1982 and 1997, prior to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (CCRA) of 1996\u2019s statutory limitation of two commemorative coins issued per year, 47 commemorative coins were authorized and minted. Between 1998 and 2019, an additional 43 coins were authorized and minted. Three additional coins have been authorized, two in 2020 and one in 2021 (to date).\nCommemorative coin legislation generally has a specific format. Once a coin is authorized, it follows a specific process for design and minting. This process includes consultation and recommendations by the Citizens Coin Advisory Commission (CCAC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), pursuant to any statutory instructions, before the Secretary of the Treasury makes the final decision on a coin\u2019s design. Following the conclusion of a coin program, designated recipient organizations may receive surcharge payments, once the U.S. Mint has recouped all costs associated with producing the coin.\nShould Congress want to make changes to the commemorative coin process, several individual and institutional options might be available. The individual options include decisions made by Members of Congress as to which people, places, events, or institutions should be celebrated; which groups should receive potential surcharge payments; and any specific design requirements Congress might want to request or require. The institutional options could include House, Senate, or committee rules for the consideration of commemorative coin legislation and whether the statutory maximum of two coins minted per year is too many or too few.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44623", "sha1": "fff842534c3af0fe7e81208f62f655afe2e728fd", "filename": "files/20191205_R44623_fff842534c3af0fe7e81208f62f655afe2e728fd.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/0.png": "files/20191205_R44623_images_2bc7994e62a4615adcb9cc16d34f65256aaf7fae.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/1.png": "files/20191205_R44623_images_b0cf4a5b606e44d411daead707b587d5725530c3.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/2.png": "files/20191205_R44623_images_525f83cbec567f874dc35a376b91bb4b74516b80.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44623", "sha1": "346ce64c5018d4dba1ea60f3ea2f0e9963543dc8", "filename": "files/20191205_R44623_346ce64c5018d4dba1ea60f3ea2f0e9963543dc8.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 592476, "date": "2019-02-28", "retrieved": "2019-04-17T14:11:18.943764", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint pursuant to an act of Congress and are often proposed by Members of Congress as part of their representational duties. These coins are legal tender that celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. Overall, 152 commemorative coins have been authorized since 1892. Since 1982, when Congress reinstituted the commemorative program, 91 commemorative coins have been authorized. Since 1998, only two coins may be authorized for any given year. To date, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to be issued through 2020.\nThe issuance of commemorative coins can be broadly divided into two eras: historical coins and modern coins. Historical commemorative coins were those authorized between 1892 and 1954 and generally celebrated anniversaries, public events, or the construction of new memorials. These coins were sold by the government to the sponsor organization, which then resold the coins to the public at a higher price to earn money to support their mission.\nIn 1939, Congress stopped authorizing new coins because a glut of commemorative coins on the market had caused their value to decline, and the U.S. Treasury became concerned that so many coins might facilitate counterfeiting. These sentiments were echoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in 1954 vetoed legislation for a half-dollar honoring the tercentennial of New York City and remarked that \u201clarge quantities [of coins] have remained unsold and have been returned to the mints for melting.\u201d The historical era concluded with the minting of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington half-dollars between 1951 and 1954.\nThe modern commemorative coin era began in 1982, when Congress authorized coins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of George Washington\u2019s birth. Between 1982 and 1997, prior to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (CCRA) of 1996\u2019s statutory limitation of two commemorative coins issued per year, 47 commemorative coins were authorized and minted. Between 1998 and 2018, an additional 41 coins were authorized and minted. Three additional coins have been authorized, two in 2019 and one in 2020 (to date).\nCommemorative coin legislation generally has a specific format. Once a coin is authorized, it follows a specific process for design and minting. This process includes consultation and recommendations by the Citizens Coin Advisory Commission (CCAC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), pursuant to any statutory instructions, before the Secretary of the Treasury makes the final decision on a coin\u2019s design. Following the conclusion of a coin program, designated recipient organizations may receive surcharge payments, once the U.S. Mint has recouped all costs associated with producing the coin.\nShould Congress want to make changes to the commemorative coin process, several individual and institutional options might be available. The individual options include decisions made by Members of Congress as to which people, places, events, or institutions should be celebrated; which groups should receive potential surcharge payments; and any specific design requirements Congress might want to request or require. The institutional options could include House, Senate, or committee rules for the consideration of commemorative coin legislation and whether the statutory maximum of two coins minted per year is too many or too few.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44623", "sha1": "eab7ed5388b7d77916dd9c5cb970d606cc72d660", "filename": "files/20190228_R44623_eab7ed5388b7d77916dd9c5cb970d606cc72d660.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190228_R44623_images_2bc7994e62a4615adcb9cc16d34f65256aaf7fae.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/1.png": "files/20190228_R44623_images_b0cf4a5b606e44d411daead707b587d5725530c3.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/2.png": "files/20190228_R44623_images_525f83cbec567f874dc35a376b91bb4b74516b80.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44623", "sha1": "5c0986d94a3aebb2339311853afdcb6ae30753f0", "filename": "files/20190228_R44623_5c0986d94a3aebb2339311853afdcb6ae30753f0.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 574882, "date": "2017-10-13", "retrieved": "2018-05-10T12:21:35.341840", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress ", "summary": "Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint pursuant to an act of Congress and are often proposed by Members of Congress as part of their representational duties. These coins are legal tender that celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. Overall, 150 commemorative coins have been minted since 1892. Since 1982, when Congress reinstituted the commemorative program, 90 commemorative coins have been authorized. Since 1998, only two coins may be authorized for any given year. To date, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to be issued through 2019.\nThe issuance of commemorative coins can be broadly divided into two eras: historical coins and modern coins. Historical commemorative coins were those authorized between 1892 and 1954 and generally celebrated anniversaries, public events, or the construction of new memorials. These coins were sold by the government to the sponsor organization, which then resold the coins to the public at a higher price to earn money to support their mission.\nIn 1939, Congress stopped authorizing new coins because a glut of commemorative coins on the market had caused their value to decline, and the U.S. Treasury became concerned that so many coins might facilitate counterfeiting. These sentiments were echoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in 1954 vetoed legislation for a half-dollar honoring the tercentennial of New York City and remarked that \u201clarge quantities [of coins] have remained unsold and have been returned to the mints for melting.\u201d The historical era concluded with the minting of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington half-dollars between 1951 and 1954.\nThe modern commemorative coin era began in 1982, when Congress authorized coins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of George Washington\u2019s birth. Between 1982 and 1997, prior to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (CCRA) of 1996\u2019s statutory limitation of two commemorative coins issued per year, 47 commemorative coins were authorized and minted. Between 1998 and 2017, an additional 39 coins were authorized and minted. Four additional coins have been authorized, two each 2018 and 2019 (to date).\nCommemorative coin legislation generally has a specific format. Once a coin is authorized, it follows a specific process for design and minting. This process includes consultation and recommendations by the Citizens Coin Advisory Commission (CCAC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), pursuant to any statutory instructions, before the Secretary of the Treasury makes the final decision on a coin\u2019s design. Following the conclusion of a coin program, designated recipient organizations may receive surcharge payments, once the U.S. Mint has recouped all costs associated with producing the coin.\nShould Congress want to make changes to the commemorative coin process, several individual and institutional options might be available. The individual options include decisions made by Members of Congress as to which people, places, events, or institutions should be celebrated; which groups should receive potential surcharge payments; and any specific design requirements Congress might want to request or require. The institutional options could include House, Senate, or committee rules for the consideration of commemorative coin legislation and whether the statutory maximum of two coins minted per year is too many or too few.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44623", "sha1": "ee7866fe3d6254227340571e2ef16b652fdfb657", "filename": "files/20171013_R44623_ee7866fe3d6254227340571e2ef16b652fdfb657.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/0.png": "files/20171013_R44623_images_2bc7994e62a4615adcb9cc16d34f65256aaf7fae.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/1.png": "files/20171013_R44623_images_b0cf4a5b606e44d411daead707b587d5725530c3.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/2.png": "files/20171013_R44623_images_525f83cbec567f874dc35a376b91bb4b74516b80.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44623", "sha1": "b94f52745b1de7e779550ca8923bfb7310b17322", "filename": "files/20171013_R44623_b94f52745b1de7e779550ca8923bfb7310b17322.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 463350, "date": "2017-08-15", "retrieved": "2017-08-21T14:19:38.093523", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress ", "summary": "Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint pursuant to an act of Congress and are often proposed by Members of Congress as part of their representational duties. These coins are legal tender that celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. Overall, 144 commemorative coins have been minted since 1892. Since 1982, when Congress reinstituted the commemorative program, 84 commemorative coins have been authorized. Since 1998, only two coins may be authorized for any given year. To date, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to be issued through 2019.\nThe issuance of commemorative coins can be broadly divided into two eras: historical coins and modern coins. Historical commemorative coins were those authorized between 1892 and 1954 and generally celebrated anniversaries, public events, or the construction of new memorials. These coins were sold by the government to the sponsor organization, which then resold the coins to the public at a higher price to earn money to support their mission.\nIn 1939, Congress stopped authorizing new coins because a glut of commemorative coins on the market had caused their value to decline, and the U.S. Treasury became concerned that so many coins might facilitate counterfeiting. These sentiments were echoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in 1954 vetoed legislation for a half-dollar honoring the tercentennial of New York City and remarked that \u201clarge quantities [of coins] have remained unsold and have been returned to the mints for melting.\u201d The historical era concluded with the minting of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington half-dollars between 1951 and 1954.\nThe modern commemorative coin era began in 1982, when Congress authorized coins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of George Washington\u2019s birth. Between 1982 and 1997, prior to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (CCRA) of 1996\u2019s statutory limitation of two commemorative coins issued per year, 47 commemorative coins were authorized and minted. Between 1998 and 2016, an additional 37 coins were authorized and minted. Five additional coins have been authorized, two each for 2017 and 2018, and one for 2019 (to date).\nCommemorative coin legislation generally has a specific format. Once a coin is authorized, it follows a specific process for design and minting. This process includes consultation and recommendations by the Citizens Coin Advisory Commission (CCAC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), pursuant to any statutory instructions, before the Secretary of the Treasury makes the final decision on a coin\u2019s design. Following the conclusion of a coin program, designated recipient organizations may receive surcharge payments, once the U.S. Mint has recouped all costs associated with producing the coin.\nShould Congress want to make changes to the commemorative coin process, several individual and institutional options might be available. The individual options include decisions made by Members of Congress as to which people, places, events, or institutions should be celebrated; which groups should receive potential surcharge payments; and any specific design requirements Congress might want to request or require. The institutional options could include House, Senate, or committee rules for the consideration of commemorative coin legislation and whether the statutory maximum of two coins minted per year is too many or too few.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44623", "sha1": "796f0c1fa30e291ee0355d597255a82782eaa052", "filename": "files/20170815_R44623_796f0c1fa30e291ee0355d597255a82782eaa052.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/1.png": "files/20170815_R44623_images_b0cf4a5b606e44d411daead707b587d5725530c3.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/0.png": "files/20170815_R44623_images_2bc7994e62a4615adcb9cc16d34f65256aaf7fae.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44623_files&id=/2.png": "files/20170815_R44623_images_525f83cbec567f874dc35a376b91bb4b74516b80.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44623", "sha1": "d4d968539ad3cd0be572a761679d800a21dc93a2", "filename": "files/20170815_R44623_d4d968539ad3cd0be572a761679d800a21dc93a2.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 457853, "date": "2016-12-22", "retrieved": "2017-01-03T22:38:56.886141", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress ", "summary": "Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint pursuant to an act of Congress and are often proposed by Members of Congress as part of their representational duties. These coins are legal tender that celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. Overall, 144 commemorative coins have been minted since 1892. Since 1982, when Congress reinstituted the commemorative program, 84 commemorative coins have been authorized. Since 1998, only two coins may be authorized for any given year. To date, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to be issued through 2019.\nThe issuance of commemorative coins can be broadly divided into two eras: historical coins and modern coins. Historical commemorative coins were those authorized between 1892 and 1954 and generally celebrated anniversaries, public events, or the construction of new memorials. These coins were sold by the government to the sponsor organization, which then resold the coins to the public at a higher price to earn money to support their mission.\nIn 1939, Congress stopped authorizing new coins because a glut of commemorative coins on the market had caused their value to decline, and the U.S. Treasury became concerned that so many coins might facilitate counterfeiting. These sentiments were echoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in 1954 vetoed legislation for a half-dollar honoring the tercentennial of New York City and remarked that \u201clarge quantities [of coins] have remained unsold and have been returned to the mints for melting.\u201d The historical era concluded with the minting of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington half-dollars between 1951 and 1954.\nThe modern commemorative coin era began in 1982, when Congress authorized coins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of George Washington\u2019s birth. Between 1982 and 1997, prior to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (CCRA) of 1996\u2019s statutory limitation of two commemorative coins issued per year, 47 commemorative coins were authorized and minted. Between 1998 and 2016, an additional 37 coins were authorized and minted. Five additional coins have been authorized, two each for 2017 and 2018, and one for 2019 (to date).\nCommemorative coin legislation generally has a specific format. Once a coin is authorized, it follows a specific process for design and minting. This process includes consultation and recommendations by the Citizens Coin Advisory Commission (CCAC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), pursuant to any statutory instructions, before the Secretary of the Treasury makes the final decision on a coin\u2019s design. Following the conclusion of a coin program, designated recipient organizations may receive surcharge payments, once the U.S. Mint has recouped all costs associated with producing the coin.\nShould Congress want to make changes to the commemorative coin process, several individual and institutional options might be available. The individual options include decisions made by Members of Congress as to which people, places, events, or institutions should be celebrated; which groups should receive potential surcharge payments; and any specific design requirements Congress might want to request or require. The institutional options could include House, Senate, or committee rules for the consideration of commemorative coin legislation and whether the statutory maximum of two coins minted per year is too many or too few.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44623", "sha1": "d72ab3abfd6c82900085f15c0889a49feec9c22e", "filename": "files/20161222_R44623_d72ab3abfd6c82900085f15c0889a49feec9c22e.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44623", "sha1": "fa1c83d189a462c23e8ae521d47e5a8348d979ce", "filename": "files/20161222_R44623_fa1c83d189a462c23e8ae521d47e5a8348d979ce.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 455637, "date": "2016-09-07", "retrieved": "2016-09-09T18:30:44.762247", "title": "Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress ", "summary": "Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint pursuant to an act of Congress and are often proposed by Members of Congress as part of their representational duties. These coins are legal tender that celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. Since 1982, when Congress reinstituted the commemorative program, 82 commemorative coins have been authorized. Since 1998, only two coins may be authorized for any given year. To date, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to be issued through 2018.\nThe issuance of commemorative coins can be broadly divided into two eras: historical coins and modern coins. Historical commemorative coins were those authorized between 1892 and 1954 and generally celebrated anniversaries, public events, or the construction of new memorials. These coins were sold by the government to the sponsor organization, which then resold the coins to the public at a higher price to earn money to support their mission.\nIn 1939, Congress stopped authorizing new coins because a glut of commemorative coins on the market had caused their value to decline, and the U.S. Treasury became concerned that so many coins might facilitate counterfeiting. These sentiments were echoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who in 1954 vetoed legislation for a half-dollar honoring the tercentennial of New York City and remarked that \u201clarge quantities [of coins] have remained unsold and have been returned to the mints for melting.\u201d The historical era concluded with the minting of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington half-dollars between 1951 and 1954.\nThe modern commemorative coin era began in 1982, when Congress authorized coins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of George Washington\u2019s birth. Between 1982 and 1997, prior to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (CCRA) of 1996\u2019s statutory limitation of two commemorative coins issued per year, 47 commemorative coins were authorized and minted. Between 1998 and 2015, an additional 35 coins were authorized and minted. Six additional coins have been authorized, two each for 2016, 2017, and 2018.\nCommemorative coin legislation generally has a specific format. Once a coin is authorized, it follows a specific process for design and minting. This process includes consultation and recommendations by the Citizens Coin Advisory Commission (CCAC) and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), pursuant to any statutory instructions, before the Secretary of the Treasury makes the final decision on a coin\u2019s design. Following the conclusion of a coin program, designated recipient organizations may receive surcharge payments, once the U.S. Mint has recouped all costs associated with producing the coin.\nShould Congress want to make changes to the commemorative coin process, several individual and institutional options might be available. The individual options include decisions made by Members of Congress as to which people, places, events, or institutions should be celebrated; which groups should receive potential surcharge payments; and any specific design requirements Congress might want to request or require. The institutional options could include House, Senate, or committee rules for the consideration of commemorative coin legislation and whether the statutory maximum of two coins minted per year is too many or too few.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44623", "sha1": "67f9eba4729ff10185bc365cb2c726e32b5b0741", "filename": "files/20160907_R44623_67f9eba4729ff10185bc365cb2c726e32b5b0741.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44623", "sha1": "d975ecb40b7ee041ca7b6bb88db10789f305f5dc", "filename": "files/20160907_R44623_d975ecb40b7ee041ca7b6bb88db10789f305f5dc.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Legislative Process" ] }