H. R. 2808

One Hundred Ninth Congress

of the

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and six 

An Act 

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

bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

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 ‘‘Abraham Lincoln Commemorative 

Coin Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds as follows: 

(1) Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, was one of the 

Nation’s greatest leaders, demonstrating true courage during 

the Civil War, one of the greatest crises in the Nation’s history. 

(2) Born of humble roots in present-day LaRue County, 

Kentucky, on February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln rose to 

the Presidency through a combination of honesty, integrity, 

intelligence, and commitment to the United States. 

(3) With the belief that all men were created equal, 

Abraham Lincoln led the effort to free all slaves in the United 

States. 

(4) Abraham Lincoln had a generous heart, with malice 

toward none and with charity for all. 

(5) Abraham Lincoln gave the ultimate sacrifice for his 

country, dying from an assassin’s bullet on April 15, 1865. 

(6) The year 2009 will be the bicentennial anniversary 

of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. 

(7) The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has 

been charged by Congress with planning the celebration of 

Lincoln’s bicentennial. 

(8) The proceeds from a commemorative coin will help 

fund the celebration and the continued study of the life of 

Lincoln. 

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 500,000 $1 coins, 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. 

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

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

States Code. 
H. R. 2808—2

(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—All coins minted under this Act shall 

be considered to be numismatic items. 

SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 

(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—

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

this Act shall be emblematic of the life and legacy of President 

Abraham Lincoln. 

(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 ‘‘2009’’; 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 

Commission of Fine Arts and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial 

Commission; 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.—Only 1 facility of the United States Mint 

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

under this Act. 

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

minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning 

on January 1, 2009. 

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(a) 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. 

(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)(1), title 31, United 

States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the 

sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by 

the Secretary to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission 

to further the work of the Commission. 
H. R. 2808—3

(c) AUDITS.—The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission 

shall be subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) 

of title 31, United States Code. 

(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.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.