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July 24, 2018
Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals: Frequently Asked
Questions
Congressional Gold Medals are awarded by acts of
locations. For individual recipients, the gold medal is given
Congress to express public gratitude for distinguished
to them at the ceremony. For group recipients, the medal is
contributions, dramatize the virtues of patriotism, and
presented to the group at the ceremony and then sent to a
perpetuate the remembrance of great events. First issued by
statutorily designated entity or to the Smithsonian for
the Continental Congress to General George Washington,
display.
the medal is considered one of the highest honors bestowed
on behalf of the nation.
What Are Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals?
Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals are bronze replicas
of the awarded Congressional Gold Medal. Bronze
“The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest
duplicates are statutorily authorized in the same legislation
expression of national appreciation for distinguished
as the gold medal. For example, the legislation authorizing
achievements and contributions that the Congress can
the Congressional Gold Medal for Senator Bob Dole stated:
bestow upon one of our fellow citizens.”
— Rep. Randy Hultgren,
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in
Congressional Record, September 5, 2017
bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3
under such regulations as the Secretary may
prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost
Congressional Gold Medals can be awarded to either
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of
individuals or groups. When gold medals are awarded to
machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of
individuals, the individual recipient, or his or her family,
the gold medal [P.L. 115-60, §4].
receives the gold medal. For instances in which a group is
honored, a single gold medal is generally minted that is
Where Can I Buy a Duplicate Congressional Gold
either awarded to the group or placed in a museum for
Medal?
future exhibition. The awarding of a gold medal to a group
Pursuant to statute, the U.S. Mint will strike and sell
has historically raised questions about duplicate
duplicate bronze medals through its retail stores and its
Congressional Gold Medals, which are generally authorized
website (https://catalog.usmint.gov/). Bronze duplicates are
to be produced and sold by the U.S. Mint. This InFocus
available in two sizes: a 3 inch duplicate (the same size as
answers several frequently asked questions about duplicate
the gold medal) and a 1.5 inch duplicate. As of July 13,
gold medals.
2018, 3 inch duplicate medals are sold by the U.S. Mint for
$39.95 and 1.5 inch duplicates for $6.95. Figure 1 shows
How Are Congressional Gold Medals Authorized?
scale size images of the 3 inch duplicate for the Women Air
An act of Congress is required to award a Congressional
Force Service Pilots Congressional Gold Medal (P.L. 111-
Gold Medal. Each gold medal has historically been
40) and the 1.5 inch duplicate for the First Special Service
authorized through stand-alone legislation. For more
Force Congressional Gold Medal (P.L. 113-16).
information on Congressional Gold Medals and the
authorization process, see CRS Report R45101,
Congressional Gold Medals: Background, Legislative
Process, and Issues for Congress, by Jacob R. Straus.
How Many Congressional Gold Medals Are Made?
Unless otherwise specified in law, a single gold medal is
struck. For individual recipients, they receive the gold
medal. For groups, the statutory authorization often
specifies where the gold medal will be housed after being
awarded. In many cases, the Smithsonian Institution
receives the medal.
When Are Congressional Gold Medals Presented?
Once the medal has been struck, a ceremony will often be
scheduled by Congress to formally award the medal. Most
gold medal ceremonies take place in the U.S. Capitol, but
some have historically taken place in other relevant
https://crsreports.congress.gov
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Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals: Frequently Asked Questions
Figure 1. Scale Size Congressional Gold Medal Bronze
Duplicates
Units
Gold Medal
Size
Sold
Revenue
First Special Service Force,
1.5”
6,444
$44,777.60
World War II [P.L. 113-16]
Foot Soldiers who
3”
985
$39,350.75
participated in Bloody
Sunday, Turnaround
1.5”
3,156
$21,968.95
Tuesday, or the final Selma
to Montgomery Voting
Rights March in March
1965 [P.L. 114-5]
Source: CRS categorization of data provided by the U.S. Mint Office
of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, January 16, 2018.
Notes: Unit prices of bronze medal duplicates may have changed
over time. Therefore, revenue may not equal the number of units
Source: United States Mint.
sold times the current bronze medal duplicate pricing.
How Many Bronze Duplicates Are Typically Sold?
Sale of particular duplicate medals can depend on the gold
What Happens to the Proceeds from the Sale of
medal recipient’s popularity and the design chosen by the
Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals?
U.S. Mint. Table 1 provides selected sales and revenue for
Expenses for the design and striking of the Congressional
recent Congressional Gold Medal duplicates.
Gold Medal are paid from the U.S. Mint’s Public Enterprise
Fund (31 U.S.C. §5136). Proceeds from the sale of
Table 1. Selected Congressional Gold Medal Duplicate
duplicate medals are redeposited in the fund.
Sales and Revenue
Through December 31, 2017
I Am a Member of a Group Awarded a
Congressional Gold Medal. How Can I Get My
Units
Medal?
Gold Medal
Size
Sold
Revenue
Since Congressional Gold Medals awarded to groups are
not an individual honor, group members do not receive their
Individuals
own gold medal. Rather, they can purchase a bronze
duplicate through the U.S. Mint.
Jack Nicklaus
3”
1,371
$54,723.45
[P.L. 113-210]
1.5”
3,973
$27,556.45
Has Congress Ever Provided Individual Gold
Medals for Each Member of an Honored Group?
Tenzin Gyatso (14th Dalai
3”
5,636
$216,796.51
In at least two instances, Congress authorized the striking of
Lama) [P.L. 109-287]
1.5”
23,690
$101,817.35
more than one gold medal for a group. In 2003, Congress
awarded gold medals to Rev. Joseph A. DeLaine, Harry and
Dr. Mohammad Yunus
3”
384
$15,340.80
Eliza Briggs, and Levi Pearson “in recognition of their
[P.L. 110-209]
contributions to the Nation as pioneers in the effort to
1.5”
1,152
$8,013.35
desegregate public schools that led directly to the landmark
Shimon Peres
3”
225
$8,979.17
desegregation case of Brown v. the Board of Education of
[P.L. 113-114]
Topeka” (P.L. 108-180). The law required that the
1.5”
3
$20.85
Secretary of the Treasury “strike 3 gold medals” one each
Groups
for Rev. DeLaine, Harry and Eliza Briggs, and Levi
Pearson.
World War II members of
3”
3,580
$143,021.00
the 17th Bombardment
Similarly, in 2000, Congress awarded “each of the original
Group (“Doolittle Tokyo
1.5”
11,191
$77,699.75
29 Navajo Code Talkers … a gold medal of appropriate
Raiders”) [P.L. 113-106]
design” (P.L. 106-554). The Code Talkers gold medals
were further updated in 2008 (P.L. 110-420), to include
65th Infantry Regiment,
3”
3,272
$130,676.45
each Native American Tribe that had a military code talker.
United States Army
(“Borinqueneers”)
1.5”
4,677
$32,484.40
These additional medals were awarded to each tribe, not to
[P.L. 113-120]
individual code talkers. Instead, the 2008 law specified that
silver duplicate medals were to be struck and “a Native
Women Airforce Service
3”
3,321
$137,961.3
Pilots of World War II
American shall be eligible to be awarded a silver duplicate
medal … if the Native American served in the Armed
(“WASP”)
1.5”
13,522
$88,856.85
[P.L. 111-40]
Forces as a code talker in any foreign conflict in which the
United States was involved during the 20th century
3”
2,854
$113,977.35
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals: Frequently Asked Questions
(§7(a)(2)(A)). Like with other gold medal authorizations,
collectors as a memento or souvenir of the actual
bronze duplicates were authorized for public sale (§7(b)).
Congressional Gold Medal, not a separate award unto itself.
Are There Restrictions on Who Can Buy Duplicate
For more information on Congressional Gold Medals, see
Congressional Gold Medals or How Many Can be
CRS Report R45101, Congressional Gold Medals:
Bought?
Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress,
Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals are generally
by Jacob R. Straus.
authorized for sale by the U.S. Mint without any limitation
on who may purchase the medals or how many may be
Jacob R. Straus, Specialist on the Congress
purchased. The bronze duplicates are thought of by many
IF10934
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
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