PUBLIC LAW 110–277—JULY 17, 2008 122 STAT. 2599 

Public Law 110–277 

110th Congress 

An Act 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of veterans 

who became disabled for life while serving in the Armed Forces of the United 

States. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Veterans Disabled 

for Life Commemorative Coin Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds as follows: 

(1) The Armed Forces of the United States have answered 

the call and served with distinction around the world—from 

hitting the beaches in World War II in the Pacific and Europe, 

to the cold and difficult terrain in Korea, the steamy jungles 

of Vietnam, and the desert sands of the Middle East. 

(2) All Americans should commemorate those who come 

home having survived the ordeal of war, and solemnly honor 

those who made the ultimate sacrifice in giving their lives 

for their country. 

(3) All Americans should honor the millions of living disabled veterans who carry the scars of war every day, and 

who have made enormous personal sacrifices defending the 

principles of our democracy. 

(4) In 2000, Congress authorized the construction of the 

American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. 

(5) The United States should pay tribute to the Nation’s 

living disabled veterans by minting and issuing a commemorative silver dollar coin. 

(6) The surcharge proceeds from the sale of a commemorative coin would raise valuable funding for the construction 

of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. 

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 

(a) $1 SILVER COINS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 

in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue 

not more than 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of disabled 

American veterans, each of which shall— 

(1) weigh 26.73 grams; 

(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 

(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. 

American 

Veterans 

Disabled for Life 

Commemorative 

Coin Act. 

31 USC 5112 

note. 

July 17, 2008 

[H.R. 634] 


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122 STAT. 2600 PUBLIC LAW 110–277—JULY 17, 2008 

(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this Act shall 

be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United 

States Code. 

(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 5134 and 

5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this 

Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 

(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— (1) DESIGN.—The design of the coins minted under this 

Act shall be emblematic of the service of our disabled veterans 

who, having survived the ordeal of war, made enormous personal sacrifices defending the principles of our democracy. 

(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted 

under this Act, there shall be— 

(A) a designation of the value of the coin; 

(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2010’’; and 

(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We 

Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus 

Unum’’. 

(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted under this 

Act shall be— 

(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the 

Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation and the 

Commission of Fine Arts; and 

(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. 

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 

(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this Act shall 

be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 

(b) MINT FACILITY.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Only 1 facility of the United States Mint 

may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted 

under this Act. 

(2) USE OF THE UNITED STATES MINT AT WEST POINT, NEW

YORK.—It is the sense of the Congress that the coins minted 

under this Act should be struck at the United States Mint 

at West Point, New York, to the greatest extent possible. 

(c) PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue coins under 

this Act only during the calendar year beginning on January 1, 

2010. 

SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 

(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act shall be 

sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of— 

(1) the face value of the coins; 

(2) the surcharge provided in section 7 with respect to 

such coins; and 

(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including 

labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, 

marketing, and shipping). 

(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the 

coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount. 

(c) PREPAID ORDERS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders 

for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of 

such coins. 


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PUBLIC LAW 110–277—JULY 17, 2008 122 STAT. 2601 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 634: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 

Vol. 153 (2007): May 15, considered and passed House. 

Vol. 154 (2008): June 10, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

June 18, House concurred in Senate amendment. 

Æ 

(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders 

under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount. 

SEC. 7. SURCHARGES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this Act shall 

include a surcharge of $10 per coin. 

(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United 

States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the 

sale of coins issued under this Act shall be paid to the Disabled 

Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation for the purpose of establishing 

an endowment to support the construction of American Veterans’ 

Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C. 

(c) AUDITS.—The Comptroller General of the United States 

shall have the right to examine such books, records, documents, 

and other data of the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation 

as may be related to the expenditures of amounts paid under 

subsection (b). 

(d) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), no surcharge 

may be included with respect to the issuance under this Act of 

any coin during a calendar year if, as of the time of such issuance, 

the issuance of such coin would result in the number of commemorative coin programs issued during such year to exceed the annual 

2 commemorative coin program issuance limitation under section 

5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code (as in effect on the 

date of the enactment of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury 

may issue guidance to carry out this subsection. 

Approved July 17, 2008. 


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