I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1958

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

of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of Korean immigration into 

the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 6, 2003

Mr. ANDREWS (for himself and Mr. SAXTON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 

in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of Korean immigration into the United States.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Korean Immigration 

5 Commemorative Coin Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds as follows: 
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1 (1) January 13, 2003, will mark the 100th an2 niversary of the first wave of Korean immigration to 

3 the United States. 

4 (2) At the time of this anniversary, more than 

5 100 Korean American communities throughout this 

6 Nation will commemorate this important event. 

7 (3) According to immigration records, in De8 cember 1902, 56 men, 21 women, and 25 children 

9 left Korea and sailed across the Pacific Ocean 

10 aboard the S.S. Gaelic, landing in Honolulu, Hawaii, 

11 on January 13, 1903. 

12 (4) These early Korean immigrants worked at 

13 sugar cane and pineapple fields in Hawaii. 

14 (5) Since that 1st voyage, approximately 

15 1,000,000 Koreans have immigrated to the United 

16 States. 

17 (6) Korean Americans have served with distinc18 tion in the U.S. Armed Forces during every war and 

19 conflict in which the United States is or was in20 volved from World War I through the war in the 

21 Persian Gulf and beyond. 

22 (7) Korean Americans have taken root and 

23 thrived in the United States through strong family 

24 ties, robust community support, and countless hours 

25 of hard work. 
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1 (8) Korean immigrants have invigorated busi2 ness, church, and academic communities throughout 

3 the United States and Korean Americans have also 

4 established themselves as important members in the 

5 medical, legal, financial, and governmental profes6 sions. 

7 (9) The strategic partnership between the 

8 United States and Korea has helped undergird peace 

9 and stability in the Asian Pacific region and has 

10 provided economic benefits to not only the peoples of 

11 the United States and Korea, but to the entire 

12 world. 

13 SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 

14 (a) $1 SILVER COINS.—The Secretary of the Treas15 ury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) 

16 shall mint and issue not more than 500,000 1 dollar coins, 

17 which shall—

18 (1) weigh 26.73 grams; 

19 (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 

20 (3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent 

21 copper. 

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

23 Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of 

24 title 31, United States Code. 
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1 (c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 

2 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted 

3 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

4 SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 

5 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins 

7 minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the im8 migration of Koreans into the United States and the 

9 significant contributions of Korean Americans to 

10 this Nation. 

11 (2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On 

12 each coin minted under this Act there shall be—

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

14 (B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2003’’; and 

15 (C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, 

16 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer17 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’. 

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

19 under this Act shall be selected by the Secretary after con20 sultation with the Commission of Fine Arts. 

21 SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 

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

23 Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 
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1 (b) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary 

2 may issue coins minted under this Act beginning on the 

3 date of the enactment of this Act. 

4 (c) TERMINATION OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No 

5 coins shall be minted under this Act after December 31, 

6 2003. 

7 SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 

8 (a) SALE PRICE.—Notwithstanding any other provi9 sion of law, the coins issued under this Act shall be sold 

10 by the Secretary at a price equal to the face value, plus 

11 the cost of designing and issuing such coins (including 

12 labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead ex13 penses, and marketing). 

14 (b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk 

15 sales of the coins issued under this Act at a reasonable 

16 discount. 

17 (c) PREPAID ORDERS AT A DISCOUNT.—

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 

19 prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act 

20 before the issuance of such coins. 

21 (2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to pre22 paid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a rea23 sonable discount.

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