Updated February 28, 2019
Commemorative Coins: An Overview
Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint
Table 1. Authorized Commemorative Coins
pursuant to an act of Congress. These coins celebrate and
2017-2021
honor American people, places, events, and institutions.
Although they are considered legal tender, they are not
Year
Commemorative Coin
minted for general circulation. Instead, they are designed to
be collected and to help designated groups raise money.
2017
Lions Club International Foundation
Boys Town
The first commemorative coin was authorized in 1892 for
2018
WWI American Veterans
the Columbia Exposition in Chicago. Since 1892, Congress
has authorized 152 new commemorative coins. Between
Breast Cancer Awareness
1954 and 1981, Congress did not authorize any new
2019
Apol o 11 50th Anniversary
commemorative coins. In 1982, Congress restarted the
American Legion 100th Anniversary
commemorative coin program when it authorized a
commemorative half dollar to recognize George
2020
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hal of Fame
Washington’s 250th Birthday. Between 1982 and 1996—
[Open]
when Congress limited the Mint to issuing two coins per
year, for coins minted after January 1, 1999, in an effort to
2021
[Open]
restrict the number of coins minted each year—the number
[Open]
of commemorative coins minted was as high as six per year
(1994).
Source: CRS Examination of Public Laws.
Congressional Consideration
“Beginning January 1, 1999, the Secretary may mint
In some past Congresses, the House Committee on
and issue commemorative coins under this section
Financial Services has adopted a committee rule to prohibit
during any calendar year with respect to not more
(1) the scheduling of a subcommittee hearing on
than 2 commemorative coin programs.”
commemorative coin legislation unless two-thirds of the
- 31 U.S.C. §5112(m)(1)
House cosponsored the measure, or (2) reporting a bill that
Authorizing Commemorative Coins
did not meet minting regulations under 31 U.S.C. §5112.
This requirement was not included in the committee rules
An act of Congress is required to authorize a
adopted for the 115th and 116th Congresses.
commemorative coin. This legislation typically includes
several features. These include
In the Senate, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Committee Rule 8 requires that “at least 67 Senators must
findings that summarize the commemorative subject’s
cosponsor any ... commemorative coin bill or resolution
history and importance;
before consideration by the Committee.”
 specifications for denominations, weight, and metallic
makeup;
Designing Commemorative Coins

After Congress has authorized a commemorative coin, the
design requirements, including required dates, words,
U.S. Treasury begins the process of designing the coin. This
and/or images;
process involves consultation with the Citizens Coinage
 start and end date for minting coins and any other
Advisory Committee (CCAC) and a design
limitations;
recommendation by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

(CFA).
requirements for selling coins;
 coin surcharge and distribution to designated groups;
Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
and
Established by P.L. 108-15, the CCAC advises the

Secretary of the Treasury on theme and design of all U.S.
assurances that costs of the coin program are recouped
coins and medals. For commemorative coins, the CCAC
by the U.S. Mint.
advises the Secretary with regard to events, persons, or
places to be commemorated; the mintage level of coins; and
Table 1 lists authorized commemorative coins between
commemorative coin designs.
2017 and 2021. Currently, no coins have been authorized
for 2021 or beyond.
The CCAC consists of 11 members appointed by the
Secretary, with four persons appointed upon the
recommendation of the congressional leadership (one each
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Commemorative Coins: An Overview
by the Speaker of the House, the House minority leader, the
potential surcharges to recipient organizations designated in
Senate majority leader, and the Senate minority leader). The
a commemorative coin statute.
CCAC meets several times each year to consider design
suggestions for coins and medals. For each coin considered,
Designated Recipient Organizations
the CCAC provides the Secretary with its recommended
Pursuant to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (P.L.
design, including a justification for why a certain design
104-208), a designated recipient organization is “any
was chosen. Recommendations are then published to the
organization designated, under any provision of law, as the
committee’s website, at http://www.ccac.gov.
recipient of any surcharge imposed on the sale of any
numismatic item.”
U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
The U.S. Mint also makes a formal presentation of
For designated recipient organizations, commemorative
preferred designs to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
coin authorizing legislation generally provides the name(s)
(CFA), and CFA provides its recommendations to the
of the organization(s) that will benefit from the sale of the
Secretary of the Treasury. Established in 1910, the CFA’s
coin and how the surcharges will be divided. For example,
statutory authority pursuant to 40 U.S.C. §9102 is to
the legislation authorizing a commemorative coin for the
“advise upon the location of statutes, fountains, and
U.S. Marshals Service (P.L. 112-104) specified four groups
monuments in the public squares, streets, and parks in the
to receive distribution from the program: the U.S. Marshals
District of Columbia, the selection of models for statues,
Museum, Inc., the National Center for Missing & Exploited
fountains, and monuments erected under the authority of
Children, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers
the Federal Government; the selection of artists; and
Association Foundation, and the National Law Enforcement
questions of art generally when required to do so by the
Officers Memorial Fund. The law also specified how much
President or a committee of Congress.” This includes
money the designated recipient organization should receive.
review of commemorative coins when they are presented by
For the Marshal Service Coin, the first $5 million went to
the U.S. Mint and the issuance of recommendations for a
the U.S. Marshals Museum, and then the additional
coin’s design.
surcharges were divided equally among the National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children, the Federal Law
Minting Coins
Enforcement Officers Association Foundation, and the
After receiving advice from the CCAC and the CFA, the
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Secretary of the Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, finalizes
the coin’s design and then mints the coin at the appropriate
Disbursement of Surcharges
time. For example, Figure 1 shows the 2011 Medal of
Once a commemorative coin has been authorized, certain
Honor Commemorative Coin.
requirements are placed on the designated recipient
organization(s). As required by P.L. 104-208, designated
Figure 1. 2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin
recipient organizations are required to raise funds to match
$5 Gold Proof
those provided by the commemorative coin surcharges,
provide documentation to the Treasury that such funds have
been raised, and be subject to an annual audit. Further, the
law prohibits the proceeds of any surcharge from being
used to influence coin legislation.
To provide more direct guidance on these requirements, the
U.S. Mint has published the Surcharge Recipient
Organization’s Compliance Procedures for Surcharge
Eligibility & Payments
. This document provides guidance
and examples for designated recipient organizations.

Source: U.S. Mint, “2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin,” at
Additional Resources
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/commemoratives/?action=
For more information on commemorative coins, see CRS
2011MedalHonor.
Report R44623, Commemorative Coins: Background,
Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress
, by Jacob R.
Commemorative Coin Funding
Straus. For more information on other options for available
Generally, Congress does not appropriate funds for
to honor individuals, groups, and events, see CRS Report
commemorative coins. Instead, the United States Mint
R43539, Commemorations in Congress: Options for
Public Enterprise Fund (31 U.S.C. §5136) is used to pay for
Honoring Individuals, Groups, and Events, coordinated by
costs associated with commemorative coins (e.g., design,
Jacob R. Straus.
striking, marketing). Once the coin is issued, the U.S. Mint
is required, pursuant to P.L. 104-208 (Div. A, title 1,
Jacob R. Straus,
§529(b)) to recover its expenses before it can disburse
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Commemorative Coins: An Overview


Disclaimer
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