Commemorative Coins: An Overview

Commemorative Coins: An Overview

Updated April 26, 2024
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
2021-2026
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.
2021
Christa McAuliffe
National Law Enforcement Museum
Since 1892, Congress has authorized more than 150
2022
Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial
commemorative coins. The first commemorative coin was
authorized in 1892 for the Columbia Exposition in Chicago.
Purple Heart Hall of Honor
Between 1954 and 1981, Congress did not authorize any
2023
No Commemorative Coins Authorized
new commemorative coins. In 1982, Congress restarted the
commemorative coin program when it authorized a
2024
Greatest Generation
commemorative half dollar to recognize George
Harriet Tubman Bicentennial
Washington’s 250th Birthday. Between 1982 and 1996—
when Congress limited the Mint to issuing two coins per
2025
United States Marine Corps 250th Anniversary
year, for coins minted after January 1, 1999, in an effort to
[Open]
restrict the number of coins minted each year—the number
2026
[Open]
of commemorative coins minted was as high as six per year
(1994).
[Open]
Source: CRS examination of public laws.
“Beginning January 1, 1999, the Secretary may mint
and issue commemorative coins under this section
Congressional Consideration
during any calendar year with respect to not more
In some past Congresses, the House Committee on
than 2 commemorative coin programs.”
Financial Services has adopted a committee rule to prohibit
- 31 U.S.C. §5112(m)(1)
(1) the scheduling of a subcommittee hearing on
commemorative coin legislation unless two-thirds of the
Authorizing Commemorative Coins
House cosponsored the measure, or (2) reporting a bill that
An act of Congress is required to authorize a
did not meet minting regulations under 31 U.S.C. §5112.
commemorative coin. This legislation typically includes
This requirement was not included in the committee rules
several features. These include
adopted for recent Congresses. Protocols issued by the
House majority leader in the 118th Congress limit the
• findings that summarize the commemorative subject’s
scheduling of commemorative coin bills. The protocols
history and importance;
state, in part, that “[t]he Majority Leader shall only consider
•
commemorative coin bills that receive at least 290
specifications for denominations, weight, and metallic
cosponsors and are submitted to the Committee on
makeup;
Financial Services to be scheduled for the Floor.”
• design requirements, including required dates, words,
and/or images;
In recent Congresses, the Senate, Banking, Housing, and
•
Urban Affairs Committee Rule 8 has required that “at least
start and end date for minting coins and any other
67 Senators must cosponsor any ... commemorative coin
limitations;
bill or resolution before consideration by the Committee.”
• requirements for selling coins;
•
Designing Commemorative Coins
coin surcharge and distribution to designated groups;
After Congress has authorized a commemorative coin, the
and
U.S. Treasury begins the process of designing the coin. This
• assurances that costs of the coin program are recouped
process involves consultation with the Citizens Coinage
by the U.S. Mint.
Advisory Committee (CCAC) and a design
recommendation by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
Table 1 lists authorized commemorative coins between
(CFA).
2021 and 2026. No coins were authorized for 2023.
Currently, one coin has been authorized for 2025, and no
Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee
coins have yet been authorized for 2026 or beyond.
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
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Commemorative Coins: An Overview
advises the Secretary with regard to events, persons, or
striking, marketing). Once the coin is issued, the U.S. Mint
places to be commemorated; the mintage level of coins; and
is required, pursuant to P.L. 104-208 (Div. A, title 1,
commemorative coin designs.
§529(b)) to recover its expenses before it can disburse
potential surcharges to recipient organizations designated in
The CCAC consists of 11 members appointed by the
a commemorative coin statute.
Secretary, with 4 persons appointed upon the
recommendation of the congressional leadership (one each
Designated Recipient Organizations
by the Speaker of the House, the House minority leader, the
Pursuant to the Commemorative Coin Reform Act (P.L.
Senate majority leader, and the Senate minority leader). The
104-208), a designated recipient organization is “any
CCAC meets several times each year to consider design
organization designated, under any provision of law, as the
suggestions for coins and medals. For each coin considered,
recipient of any surcharge imposed on the sale of any
the CCAC provides the Secretary with its recommended
numismatic item.”
design, including a justification for why a certain design
was chosen. Recommendations are then published to the
For designated recipient organizations, commemorative
committee’s website, at http://www.ccac.gov.
coin authorizing legislation generally provides the name(s)
of the organization(s) that will benefit from the sale of the
U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
coin and how the surcharges will be divided. For example,
The U.S. Mint also makes a formal presentation of
the legislation authorizing a commemorative coin for the
preferred designs to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
U.S. Marshals Service (P.L. 112-104) specified four groups
(CFA), and CFA provides its recommendations to the
to receive distribution from the program: the U.S. Marshals
Secretary of the Treasury. Established in 1910, the CFA’s
Museum, Inc., the National Center for Missing & Exploited
statutory authority pursuant to 40 U.S.C. §9102 is to
Children, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers
“advise upon the location of statues, fountains, and
Association Foundation, and the National Law Enforcement
monuments in the public squares, streets, and parks in the
Officers Memorial Fund. The law also specified how much
District of Columbia, the selection of models for statues,
money the designated recipient organization should receive.
fountains, and monuments erected under the authority of
For the Marshal Service Coin, the first $5 million went to
the Federal Government; the selection of artists; and
the U.S. Marshals Museum, and then the additional
questions of art generally when required to do so by the
surcharges were divided equally among the National Center
President or a committee of Congress.” This includes
for Missing & Exploited Children, the Federal Law
review of commemorative coins when they are presented by
Enforcement Officers Association Foundation, and the
the U.S. Mint and the issuance of recommendations for a
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
coin’s design.
Disbursement of Surcharges
Minting Coins
Once a commemorative coin has been authorized, certain
After receiving advice from the CCAC and the CFA, the
requirements are placed on the designated recipient
Secretary of the Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, finalizes
organization(s). As required by P.L. 104-208, designated
the coin’s design and then mints the coin at the appropriate
recipient organizations are required to raise funds to match
time. For example, Figure 1 shows the 2011 Medal of
those provided by the commemorative coin surcharges,
Honor Commemorative Coin.
provide documentation to the Treasury that such funds have
been raised, and be subject to an annual audit. Further, the
Figure 1. 2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin
law prohibits the proceeds of any surcharge from being
$5 Gold Proof
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.
Additional Resources
For more information on commemorative coins, see CRS
Report R44623, Commemorative Coins: Background,

Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress. For more
Source: U.S. Mint, “2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin,” at
information on other options available to honor individuals,
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/commemoratives/?action=
groups, and events, see CRS Report R43539,
2011MedalHonor.
Commemorations in Congress: Options for Honoring
Individuals, Groups, and Events.
Commemorative Coin Funding
Generally, Congress does not appropriate funds for
Jacob R. Straus, Specialist 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,

https://crsreports.congress.gov

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
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.

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10262 · VERSION 15 · UPDATED