Updated February 27, 2020
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
2017-2022
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 155 new commemorative coins. Between
Breast Cancer Awareness
1954 and 1981, Congress did not authorize any new
2019
Apollo 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 Hall of Fame
Washington’s 250th Birthday. Between 1982 and 1996—
Women’s Suffrage Centennial
when Congress limited the Mint to issuing two coins per
year, for coins minted after January 1, 1999, in an effort to
2021
Christa McAuliffe
restrict the number of coins minted each year—the number
National Law Enforcement Museum
of commemorative coins minted was as high as six per year
(1994).
2022
[Open]
[Open]
“Beginning January 1, 1999, the Secretary may mint
Source: CRS Examination of Public Laws.
and issue commemorative coins under this section
during any calendar year with respect to not more
Congressional Consideration
than 2 commemorative coin programs.”
In some past Congresses, the House Committee on
- 31 U.S.C. §5112(m)(1)
Financial Services has adopted a committee rule to prohibit
Authorizing Commemorative Coins
(1) the scheduling of a subcommittee hearing on
commemorative coin legislation unless two-thirds of the
An act of Congress is required to authorize a
House cosponsored the measure, or (2) reporting a bill that
commemorative coin. This legislation typically includes
did not meet minting regulations under 31 U.S.C. §5112.
several features. These include
This requirement was not included in the committee rules
adopted for the 115th and 116th Congresses. Protocols issued
findings that summarize the commemorative subject’s
by the House Majority Leader in the 116th Congress limit
history and importance;
the scheduling of commemorative coin bills. The protocols
specifications for denominations, weight, and metallic
say that “the Majority Leader shall consider the first three
makeup;
commemorative coin bills in a Congress that receive 290
cosponsors and are submitted to the Committee on
design requirements, including required dates, words,
Financial Services to be scheduled for the Floor.”
and/or images;
start and end date for minting coins and any other
In the Senate, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
limitations;
Committee Rule 8 requires that “at least 67 Senators must
cosponsor any ... commemorative coin bill or resolution
requirements for selling coins;
before consideration by the Committee.”
coin surcharge and distribution to designated groups;
Designing Commemorative Coins
and
After Congress has authorized a commemorative coin, the
assurances that costs of the coin program are recouped
U.S. Treasury begins the process of designing the coin. This
by the U.S. Mint.
process involves consultation with the Citizens Coinage
Advisory Committee (CCAC) and a design
Table 1 lists authorized commemorative coins between
recommendation by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
2017 and 2022. Currently, no coins have been authorized
(CFA).
for 2022 or beyond.
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.
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Commemorative Coins: An Overview
coins and medals. For commemorative coins, the CCAC
striking, marketing). Once the coin is issued, the U.S. Mint
advises the Secretary with regard to events, persons, or
is required, pursuant to P.L. 104-208 (Div. A, title 1,
places to be commemorated; the mintage level of coins; and
§529(b)) to recover its expenses before it can disburse
commemorative coin designs.
potential surcharges to recipient organizations designated in
a commemorative coin statute.
The CCAC consists of 11 members appointed by the
Secretary, with 4 persons appointed upon the
Designated Recipient Organizations
recommendation of the congressional leadership (one each
Pursuant to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (P.L.
by the Speaker of the House, the House minority leader, the
104-208), a designated recipient organization is “any
Senate majority leader, and the Senate minority leader). The
organization designated, under any provision of law, as the
CCAC meets several times each year to consider design
recipient of any surcharge imposed on the sale of any
suggestions for coins and medals. For each coin considered,
numismatic item.”
the CCAC provides the Secretary with its recommended
design, including a justification for why a certain design
For designated recipient organizations, commemorative
was chosen. Recommendations are then published to the
coin authorizing legislation generally provides the name(s)
committee’s website, at http://www.ccac.gov.
of the organization(s) that will benefit from the sale of the
coin and how the surcharges will be divided. For example,
U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
the legislation authorizing a commemorative coin for the
The U.S. Mint also makes a formal presentation of
U.S. Marshals Service (P.L. 112-104) specified four groups
preferred designs to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
to receive distribution from the program: the U.S. Marshals
(CFA), and CFA provides its recommendations to the
Museum, Inc., the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Secretary of the Treasury. Established in 1910, the CFA’s
Children, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers
statutory authority pursuant to 40 U.S.C. §9102 is to
Association Foundation, and the National Law Enforcement
“advise upon the location of statues, fountains, and
Officers Memorial Fund. The law also specified how much
monuments in the public squares, streets, and parks in the
money the designated recipient organization should receive.
District of Columbia, the selection of models for statues,
For the Marshal Service Coin, the first $5 million went to
fountains, and monuments erected under the authority of
the U.S. Marshals Museum, and then the additional
the Federal Government; the selection of artists; and
surcharges were divided equally among the National Center
questions of art generally when required to do so by the
for Missing & Exploited Children, the Federal Law
President or a committee of Congress.” This includes
Enforcement Officers Association Foundation, and the
review of commemorative coins when they are presented by
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
the U.S. Mint and the issuance of recommendations for a
coin’s design.
Disbursement of Surcharges
Once a commemorative coin has been authorized, certain
Minting Coins
requirements are placed on the designated recipient
After receiving advice from the CCAC and the CFA, the
organization(s). As required by P.L. 104-208, designated
Secretary of the Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, finalizes
recipient organizations are required to raise funds to match
the coin’s design and then mints the coin at the appropriate
those provided by the commemorative coin surcharges,
time. For example, Figure 1 shows the 2011 Medal of
provide documentation to the Treasury that such funds have
Honor Commemorative Coin.
been raised, and be subject to an annual audit. Further, the
law prohibits the proceeds of any surcharge from being
Figure 1. 2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin
used to influence coin legislation.
$5 Gold Proof
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.
Additional Resources
For more information on commemorative coins, see CRS
Report R44623, Commemorative Coins: Background,
Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress, by Jacob R.
Straus. For more information on other options for available
Source: U.S. Mint, “2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin,” at
to honor individuals, groups, and events, see CRS Report
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/commemoratives/?action=
R43539, Commemorations in Congress: Options for
2011MedalHonor.
Honoring Individuals, Groups, and Events, coordinated by
Jacob R. Straus.
Commemorative Coin Funding
Generally, Congress does not appropriate funds for
Jacob R. Straus, Analyst on the Congress
commemorative coins. Instead, the United States Mint
Public Enterprise Fund (31 U.S.C. §5136) is used to pay for
IF10262
costs associated with commemorative coins (e.g., design,
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Commemorative Coins: An Overview
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
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