II 

Calendar No. 190

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1047 

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

of each of the Nation’s past Presidents and their spouses, respectively, 

to improve circulation of the $1 coin, to create a new bullion coin, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 17, 2005 

Mr. SUNUNU (for himself, Mr. REID, Mrs. DOLE, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. 

COLLINS, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. STEVENS, 

Mr. DEMINT, Mr. CHAFEE, Mr. COBURN, Mr. DODD, Mr. MARTINEZ, 

Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. BAYH, Mr. CARPER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, 

Mr. CRAIG, Mr. CORNYN, Mrs. LINCOLN, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. LEVIN, 

Mr. BURNS, Mr. KOHL, Mr. LOTT, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Ms. 

MIKULSKI, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. WARNER, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. GREGG, Mr. 

FEINGOLD, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. 

BYRD, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. BURR, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. 

CORZINE, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. SANTORUM, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. DEWINE, Mr. 

SMITH, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. TALENT, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. VITTER, Mr. 

REED, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. BOND, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, Mr. SALAZAR, 

Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. CRAPO, and Mr. BIDEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

JULY 29, 2005

Reported by Mr. SHELBY, without amendment 

A BILL

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 
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in commemoration of each of the Nation’s past Presidents and their spouses, respectively, to improve circulation of the $1 coin, to create a new bullion coin, and 

for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Presidential $1 Coin 

5 Act of 2005’’. 

6 TITLE I—PRESIDENTIAL $1 

7 COINS 

8 SEC. 101. FINDINGS. 

9 Congress finds the following: 

10 (1) There are sectors of the United States econ11 omy, including public transportation, parking me12 ters, vending machines, and low-dollar value trans13 actions, in which the use of a $1 coin is both useful 

14 and desirable for keeping costs and prices down. 

15 (2) For a variety of reasons, the new $1 coin 

16 introduced in 2000 has not been widely sought-after 

17 by the public, leading to higher costs for merchants 

18 and thus higher prices for consumers. 

19 (3) The success of the 50 States Commemora20 tive Coin Program (31 U.S.C. 5112(l)) for circu21 lating quarter dollars shows that a design on a 

22 United States circulating coin that is regularly 
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1 changed in a manner similar to the systematic 

2 change in designs in such Program radically in3 creases demand for the coin, rapidly pulling it 

4 through the economy. 

5 (4) The 50 States Commemorative Coin Pro6 gram also has been an educational tool, teaching 

7 both Americans and visitors something about each 

8 State for which a quarter has been issued. 

9 (5) A national survey and study by the Govern10 ment Accountability Office has indicated that many 

11 Americans who do not seek, or who reject, the new 

12 $1 coin for use in commerce would actively seek the 

13 coin if an attractive, educational rotating design 

14 were to be struck on the coin. 

15 (6) The President is the leader of our tripartite 

16 government and the President’s spouse has often set 

17 the social tone for the White House while spear18 heading and highlighting important issues for the 

19 country. 

20 (7) Sacagawea, as currently represented on the 

21 new $1 coin, is an important symbol of American 

22 history. 

23 (8) Many people cannot name all of the Presi24 dents, and fewer can name the spouses, nor can 
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1 many people accurately place each President in the 

2 proper time period of American history. 

3 (9) First Spouses have not generally been rec4 ognized on American coinage. 

5 (10) In order to revitalize the design of United 

6 States coinage and return circulating coinage to its 

7 position as not only a necessary means of exchange 

8 in commerce, but also as an object of aesthetic beau9 ty in its own right, it is appropriate to move many 

10 of the mottos and emblems, the inscription of the 

11 year, and the so-called ‘‘mint marks’’ that currently 

12 appear on the 2 faces of each circulating coin to the 

13 edge of the coin, which would allow larger and more 

14 dramatic artwork on the coins reminiscent of the so15 called ‘‘Golden Age of Coinage’’ in the United 

16 States, at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, 

17 initiated by President Theodore Roosevelt, with the 

18 assistance of noted sculptors and medallic artists 

19 James Earle Fraser and Augustus Saint-Gaudens. 

20 (11) Placing inscriptions on the edge of coins, 

21 known as edge-incusing, is a hallmark of modern 

22 coinage and is common in large-volume production 

23 of coinage elsewhere in the world, such as the 

24 2,700,000,000 2-Euro coins in circulation, but it has 
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1 not been done on a large scale in United States coin2 age in recent years. 

3 (12) Although the Congress has authorized the 

4 Secretary of the Treasury to issue gold coins with a 

5 purity of 99.99 percent, the Secretary has not done 

6 so. 

7 (13) Bullion coins are a valuable tool for the in8 vestor and, in some cases, an important aspect of 

9 coin collecting. 

10 SEC. 102. PRESIDENTIAL $1 COIN PROGRAM. 

11 Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is 

12 amended by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(n) REDESIGN AND ISSUANCE OF CIRCULATING $1 

14 COINS HONORING EACH OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE

15 UNITED STATES.— 

16 ‘‘(1) REDESIGN BEGINNING IN 2007.— 

17 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sub18 section (d) and in accordance with the provi19 sions of this subsection, $1 coins issued during 

20 the period beginning January 1, 2007, and end21 ing upon the termination of the program under 

22 paragraph (8), shall— 

23 ‘‘(i) have designs on the obverse se24 lected in accordance with paragraph (2)(B) 
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1 which are emblematic of the Presidents of 

2 the United States; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) have a design on the reverse se4 lected in accordance with paragraph 

5 (2)(A). 

6 ‘‘(B) CONTINUITY PROVISION.—Notwith7 standing subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 

8 continue to mint and issue $1 coins which bear 

9 any design in effect before the issuance of coins 

10 as required under this subsection (including the 

11 so-called ‘Sacagawea-design’ $1 coins). 

12 ‘‘(2) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—The $1 coins 

13 issued in accordance with paragraph (1)(A) shall 

14 meet the following design requirements: 

15 ‘‘(A) COIN REVERSE.—The design on the 

16 reverse shall bear— 

17 ‘‘(i) a likeness of the Statue of Lib18 erty extending to the rim of the coin and 

19 large enough to provide a dramatic rep20 resentation of Liberty while not being large 

21 enough to create the impression of a ‘2-

22 headed’ coin; 

23 ‘‘(ii) the inscription ‘$1’ ; and 

24 ‘‘(iii) the inscription ‘United States of 

25 America’. 
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1 ‘‘(B) COIN OBVERSE.—The design on the 

2 obverse shall contain— 

3 ‘‘(i) the name and likeness of a Presi4 dent of the United States; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) basic information about the 

6 President, including— 

7 ‘‘(I) the dates or years of the 

8 term of office of such President; and 

9 ‘‘(II) a number indicating the 

10 order of the period of service in which 

11 the President served. 

12 ‘‘(C) EDGE-INCUSED INSCRIPTIONS.— 

13 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The inscription of 

14 the year of minting or issuance of the coin 

15 and the inscriptions ‘E Pluribus Unum’ 

16 and ‘In God We Trust’ shall be edge17 incused into the coin. 

18 ‘‘(ii) PRESERVATION OF DISTINCTIVE

19 EDGE.—The edge-incusing of the inscrip20 tions under clause (i) on coins issued 

21 under this subsection shall be done in a 

22 manner that preserves the distinctive edge 

23 of the coin so that the denomination of the 

24 coin is readily discernible, including by in-
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1 dividuals who are blind or visually im2 paired. 

3 ‘‘(D) INSCRIPTIONS OF ‘LIBERTY’.—Not4 withstanding the second sentence of subsection 

5 (d)(1), because the use of a design bearing the 

6 likeness of the Statue of Liberty on the reverse 

7 of the coins issued under this subsection ade8 quately conveys the concept of Liberty, the in9 scription of ‘Liberty’ shall not appear on the 

10 coins. 

11 ‘‘(E) LIMITATION IN SERIES TO DECEASED

12 PRESIDENTS.—No coin issued under this sub13 section may bear the image of a living former 

14 or current President, or of any deceased former 

15 President during the 2-year period following the 

16 date of the death of that President. 

17 ‘‘(3) ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING

18 PRESIDENTS.— 

19 ‘‘(A) ORDER OF ISSUANCE.—The coins 

20 issued under this subsection commemorating 

21 Presidents of the United States shall be issued 

22 in the order of the period of service of each 

23 President, beginning with President George 

24 Washington. 
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1 ‘‘(B) TREATMENT OF PERIOD OF SERV2 ICE.— 

3 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause 

4 (ii), only 1 coin design shall be issued for 

5 a period of service for any President, no 

6 matter how many consecutive terms of of7 fice the President served. 

8 ‘‘(ii) NONCONSECUTIVE TERMS.—If a 

9 President has served during 2 or more 

10 nonconsecutive periods of service, a coin 

11 shall be issued under this subsection for 

12 each such nonconsecutive period of service. 

13 ‘‘(4) ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING 4

14 PRESIDENTS DURING EACH YEAR OF THE PERIOD.— 

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The designs for the 

16 $1 coins issued during each year of the period 

17 referred to in paragraph (1) shall be emblem18 atic of 4 Presidents until each President has 

19 been so honored, subject to paragraph (2)(E). 

20 ‘‘(B) NUMBER OF 4 CIRCULATING COIN

21 DESIGNS IN EACH YEAR.—The Secretary shall 

22 prescribe, on the basis of such factors as the 

23 Secretary determines to be appropriate, the 

24 number of $1 coins that shall be issued with 
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1 each of the designs selected for each year of the 

2 period referred to in paragraph (1). 

3 ‘‘(5) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under 

4 this title shall be legal tender, as provided in section 

5 5103. 

6 ‘‘(6) TREATMENT AS NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For 

7 purposes of section 5134 and 5136, all coins minted 

8 under this subsection shall be considered to be nu9 mismatic items. 

10 ‘‘(7) ISSUANCE OF NUMISMATIC COINS.—The 

11 Secretary may mint and issue such number of $1 

12 coins of each design selected under this subsection 

13 in uncirculated and proof qualities as the Secretary 

14 determines to be appropriate. 

15 ‘‘(8) TERMINATION OF PROGRAM.—The 

16 issuance of coins under this subsection shall termi17 nate when each President has been so honored, sub18 ject to paragraph (2)(E), and may not be resumed 

19 except by an Act of Congress. 

20 ‘‘(9) REVERSION TO PRECEDING DESIGN.—

21 Upon the termination of the issuance of coins under 

22 this subsection, the design of all $1 coins shall re23 vert to the so-called ‘Sacagawea-design’ $1 coins.’’. 
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1 SEC. 103. FIRST SPOUSE BULLION COIN PROGRAM. 

2 Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, as 

3 amended by section 102, is amended by adding at the end 

4 the following: 

5 ‘‘(o) FIRST SPOUSE BULLION COIN PROGRAM.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—During the same period de7 scribed in subsection (n), the Secretary shall issue 

8 bullion coins under this subsection that are emblem9 atic of the spouse of each such President. 

10 ‘‘(2) SPECIFICATIONS.—The coins issued under 

11 this subsection shall— 

12 ‘‘(A) have the same diameter as the $1 

13 coins described in subsection (n); 

14 ‘‘(B) weigh 0.5 ounce; and 

15 ‘‘(C) contain 99.99 percent pure gold. 

16 ‘‘(3) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— 

17 ‘‘(A) COIN OBVERSE.—The design on the 

18 obverse of each coin issued under this sub19 section shall contain— 

20 ‘‘(i) the name and likeness of a person 

21 who was a spouse of a President during 

22 the President’s period of service; 

23 ‘‘(ii) an inscription of the years during 

24 which such person was the spouse of a 

25 President during the President’s period of 

26 service; and 
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1 ‘‘(iii) a number indicating the order of 

2 the period of service in which such Presi3 dent served. 

4 ‘‘(B) COIN REVERSE.—The design on the 

5 reverse of each coin issued under this sub6 section shall bear— 

7 ‘‘(i) images emblematic of the life and 

8 work of the First Spouse whose image is 

9 borne on the obverse; and 

10 ‘‘(ii) the inscription ‘United States of 

11 America’. 

12 ‘‘(C) DESIGNATED DENOMINATION.—Each 

13 coin issued under this subsection shall bear, on 

14 the reverse, an inscription of the nominal de15 nomination of the coin which shall be ‘$10’. 

16 ‘‘(D) DESIGN IN CASE OF NO FIRST

17 SPOUSE.—In the case of any President who 

18 served without a spouse— 

19 ‘‘(i) the image on the obverse of the 

20 bullion coin corresponding to the $1 coin 

21 relating to such President shall be an 

22 image emblematic of the concept of ‘Lib23 erty’— 
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1 ‘‘(I) as represented on a United 

2 States coin issued during the period 

3 of service of such President; or 

4 ‘‘(II) as represented, in the case 

5 of President Chester Alan Arthur, by 

6 a design incorporating the name and 

7 likeness of Alice Paul, a leading strat8 egist in the suffrage movement, who 

9 was instrumental in gaining women 

10 the right to vote upon the adoption of 

11 the 19th amendment and thus the 

12 ability to participate in the election of 

13 future Presidents, and who was born 

14 on January 11, 1885, during the term 

15 of President Arthur; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) the reverse of such bullion coin 

17 shall be of a design representative of 

18 themes of such President, except that in 

19 the case of the bullion coin referred to in 

20 clause (i)(II) the reverse of such coin shall 

21 be representative of the suffrage move22 ment. 

23 ‘‘(E) DESIGN AND COIN FOR EACH

24 SPOUSE.—A separate coin shall be designed and 

25 issued under this section for each person who 
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1 was the spouse of a President during any por2 tion of a term of office of such President. 

3 ‘‘(F) INSCRIPTIONS.—Each bullion coin 

4 issued under this subsection shall bear the in5 scription of the year of minting or issuance of 

6 the coin and such other inscriptions as the Sec7 retary may determine to be appropriate. 

8 ‘‘(4) SALE OF BULLION COINS.—Each bullion 

9 coin issued under this subsection shall be sold by the 

10 Secretary at a price that is equal to or greater than 

11 the sum of— 

12 ‘‘(A) the face value of the coins; and 

13 ‘‘(B) the cost of designing and issuing the 

14 coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of 

15 machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and 

16 shipping). 

17 ‘‘(5) ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING

18 FIRST SPOUSES.— 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The bullion coins 

20 issued under this subsection with respect to any 

21 spouse of a President shall be issued on the 

22 same schedule as the $1 coin issued under sub23 section (n) with respect to each such President. 
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1 ‘‘(B) MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BULLION

2 COINS FOR EACH DESIGN.—The Secretary 

3 shall— 

4 ‘‘(i) prescribe, on the basis of such 

5 factors as the Secretary determines to be 

6 appropriate, the maximum number of bul7 lion coins that shall be issued with each of 

8 the designs selected under this subsection; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(ii) announce, before the issuance of 

11 the bullion coins of each such design, the 

12 maximum number of bullion coins of that 

13 design that will be issued. 

14 ‘‘(C) TERMINATION OF PROGRAM.—No 

15 bullion coin may be issued under this subsection 

16 after the termination, in accordance with sub17 section (n)(8), of the $1 coin program estab18 lished under subsection (n). 

19 ‘‘(6) QUALITY OF COINS.—The bullion coins 

20 minted under this Act shall be issued in both proof 

21 and uncirculated qualities. 

22 ‘‘(7) SOURCE OF GOLD BULLION.— 

23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

24 acquire gold for the coins issued under this sub25 section by purchase of gold mined from natural 
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1 deposits in the United States, or in a territory 

2 or possession of the United States, within 1 

3 year after the month in which the ore from 

4 which it is derived was mined. 

5 ‘‘(B) PRICE OF GOLD.—The Secretary 

6 shall pay not more than the average world price 

7 for the gold mined under subparagraph (A). 

8 ‘‘(8) BRONZE MEDALS.—The Secretary may 

9 strike and sell bronze medals that bear the likeness 

10 of the bullion coins authorized under this subsection, 

11 at a price, size, and weight, and with such inscrip12 tions, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 

13 ‘‘(9) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under 

14 this title shall be legal tender, as provided in section 

15 5103. 

16 ‘‘(10) TREATMENT AS NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—

17 For purposes of section 5134 and 5136, all coins 

18 minted under this subsection shall be considered to 

19 be numismatic items.’’. 

20 SEC. 104. REMOVAL OF BARRIERS TO CIRCULATION. 

21 Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, as 

22 amended by sections 102 and 103, by adding at the end 

23 the following: 

24 ‘‘(p) REMOVAL OF BARRIERS TO CIRCULATION OF $1 

25 COIN.— 
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1 ‘‘(1) ACCEPTANCE BY AGENCIES AND INSTRU2 MENTALITIES.—Beginning January 1, 2006, all 

3 agencies and instrumentalities of the United States, 

4 the United States Postal Service, all non5 appropriated fund instrumentalities established 

6 under title 10, United States Code, all transpor7 tation and transit systems and entities that receive 

8 operational subsidies or any disbursement of funds 

9 from the Federal Government, such as funds from 

10 the Federal Highway Trust Fund, including the 

11 Mass Transit Account, and all entities that operate 

12 any business, including vending machines, on any 

13 premises owned by the United States or under the 

14 control of any agency or instrumentality of the 

15 United States, including the legislative and judicial 

16 branches of the Federal Government, shall take such 

17 action as may be appropriate to ensure that by the 

18 end of the 1-year period beginning on such date— 

19 ‘‘(A) any business operations conducted by 

20 any such agency, instrumentality, system, or 

21 entity that involve coins or currency will be 

22 fully capable of accepting and dispensing $1 

23 coins in connection with such operations; and 

24 ‘‘(B) prominently displays signs and no25 tices denoting such capability on the premises 
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1 where coins or currency are accepted or dis2 pensed, including on each vending machine. 

3 ‘‘(2) PUBLICITY.—The Director of the United 

4 States Mint, shall work closely with consumer 

5 groups, media outlets, and schools to ensure an ade6 quate amount of news coverage, and other means of 

7 increasing public awareness, of the inauguration of 

8 the Presidential $1 Coin Program established in 

9 subsection (n) to ensure that consumers know of the 

10 availability of the coin. 

11 ‘‘(3) COORDINATION.—The Board of Governors 

12 of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary 

13 shall take steps to ensure that an adequate supply 

14 of $1 coins is available for commerce and collectors 

15 at such places and in such quantities as are appro16 priate by— 

17 ‘‘(A) consulting, to accurately gauge de18 mand for coins and to anticipate and eliminate 

19 obstacles to the easy and efficient distribution 

20 and circulation of $1 coins as well as all other 

21 circulating coins, from time to time but no less 

22 frequently than annually, with a coin users 

23 group, which may include— 
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1 ‘‘(i) representatives of merchants who 

2 would benefit from the increased usage of 

3 $1 coins; 

4 ‘‘(ii) vending machine and other coin 

5 acceptor manufacturers; 

6 ‘‘(iii) vending machine owners and op7 erators; 

8 ‘‘(iv) transit officials; 

9 ‘‘(v) municipal parking officials; 

10 ‘‘(vi) depository institutions; 

11 ‘‘(vii) coin and currency handlers; 

12 ‘‘(viii) armored-car operators; 

13 ‘‘(ix) car wash operators; and 

14 ‘‘(x) coin collectors and dealers; 

15 ‘‘(B) submitting an annual report to the 

16 Congress containing— 

17 ‘‘(i) an assessment of the remaining 

18 obstacles to the efficient and timely cir19 culation of coins, particularly $1 coins; 

20 ‘‘(ii) an assessment of the extent to 

21 which the goals of subparagraph (C) are 

22 being met; and 

23 ‘‘(iii) such recommendations for legis24 lative action the Board and the Secretary 

25 may determine to be appropriate; 
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1 ‘‘(C) consulting with industry representa2 tives to encourage operators of vending ma3 chines and other automated coin-accepting de4 vices in the United States to accept coins issued 

5 under the Presidential $1 Coin Program estab6 lished under subsection (n) and any coins bear7 ing any design in effect before the issuance of 

8 coins required under subsection (n) (including 

9 the so-called ‘Sacagawea-design’ $1 coins), and 

10 to include notices on the machines and devices 

11 of such acceptability; 

12 ‘‘(D) ensuring that— 

13 ‘‘(i) during an introductory period, all 

14 institutions that want unmixed supplies of 

15 each newly-issued design of $1 coins mint16 ed under subsections (n) and (o) are able 

17 to obtain such unmixed supplies; and 

18 ‘‘(ii) circulating coins will be available 

19 for ordinary commerce in packaging of 

20 sizes and types appropriate for and useful 

21 to ordinary commerce, including rolled 

22 coins; 

23 ‘‘(E) working closely with any agency, in24 strumentality, system, or entity referred to in 
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1 paragraph (1) to facilitate compliance with the 

2 requirements of such paragraph; and 

3 ‘‘(F) identifying, analyzing, and over4 coming barriers to the robust circulation of $1 

5 coins minted under subsections (n) and (o), in6 cluding the use of demand prediction, improved 

7 methods of distribution and circulation, and im8 proved public education and awareness cam9 paigns. 

10 ‘‘(4) BULLION DEALERS.—The Director of the 

11 United States Mint shall take all steps necessary to 

12 ensure that a maximum number of reputable, reli13 able, and responsible dealers are qualified to offer 

14 for sale all bullion coins struck and issued by the 

15 United States Mint. 

16 ‘‘(5) REVIEW OF CO-CIRCULATION.—At such 

17 time as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, 

18 and after consultation with the Board of Governors 

19 of the Federal Reserve System, the Secretary shall 

20 notify the Congress of its assessment of issues re21 lated to the co-circulation of any circulating $1 coin 

22 bearing any design, other than the so-called 

23 ‘Sacagawea-design’ $1 coin, in effect before the 

24 issuance of coins required under subsection (n), in25 cluding the effect of co-circulation on the acceptance 
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1 and use of $1 coins, and make recommendations to 

2 the Congress for improving the circulation of $1 

3 coins.’’. 

4 SEC. 105. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS. 

5 It is the sense of the Congress that— 

6 (1) the enactment of this Act will serve to in7 crease the use of $1 coins generally, which will in8 crease the circulation of the so-called ‘‘Sacagawea9 design’’ $1 coins that have been and will continue to 

10 be minted and issued; 

11 (2) the continued minting and issuance of the 

12 so-called ‘‘Sacagawea-design’’ $1 coins will serve as 

13 a lasting tribute to the role of women and Native 

14 Americans in the history of the United States; 

15 (3) the full circulation potential and cost-sav16 ings benefit projections for the $1 coins are not like17 ly to be achieved unless the coins are delivered in 

18 ways useful to ordinary commerce; 

19 (4) the coins issued in connection with this title 

20 should not be introduced with an overly expensive 

21 taxpayer-funded public relations campaign; 

22 (5) in order for the circulation of $1 coins to 

23 achieve maximum potential— 

24 (A) the coins should be as attractive as 

25 possible; and 
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1 (B) the Director of the United States Mint 

2 should take all reasonable steps to ensure that 

3 all $1 coins minted and issued remain tarnish4 free for as long as possible without incurring 

5 undue expense; and 

6 (6) if the Secretary of the Treasury determines 

7 to include on any $1 coin minted under section 102 

8 of this Act a mark denoting the United States Mint 

9 facility at which the coin was struck, such mark 

10 should be edge-incused. 

11 TITLE II—BUFFALO GOLD 

12 BULLION COINS 

13 SEC. 201. GOLD BULLION COINS. 

14 Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is 

15 amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

17 following: 

18 ‘‘(11) A $20 gold coin that is of an appropriate 

19 size and thickness, as determined by the Secretary, 

20 weighs 1 ounce, and contains 99.99 percent pure 

21 gold.’’; and 

22 (2) by adding at the end, the following: 

23 ‘‘(q) GOLD BULLION COINS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months 

25 after the date of enactment of the Presidential $1 
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1 Coin Act of 2005, the Secretary shall commence 

2 striking and issuing for sale such number of $20 

3 gold bullion coins as the Secretary may determine to 

4 be appropriate, not to exceed 500,000 in any year. 

5 ‘‘(2) INITIAL DESIGN.— 

6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

7 under subparagraph (B), the obverse and re8 verse of the gold bullion coins struck under this 

9 subsection during the first year of issuance 

10 shall bear the original designs by James Earle 

11 Fraser, which appear on the 5-cent coin com12 monly referred to as the ‘Buffalo nickel’ or the 

13 ‘1913 Type 1’. 

14 ‘‘(B) VARIATIONS.—The coins referred to 

15 in subparagraph (A) shall— 

16 ‘‘(i) have inscriptions of the weight of 

17 the coin and the nominal denomination of 

18 the coin incused in that portion of the de19 sign on the reverse of the coin commonly 

20 known as the ‘grassy mound’; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) bear such other inscriptions as 

22 the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 

23 ‘‘(3) SUBSEQUENT DESIGNS.—After the 1-year 

24 period described to in paragraph (2), the Secretary 

25 may— 
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1 ‘‘(A) after consulting with the Commission 

2 of Fine Arts, and subject to the review of the 

3 Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, change 

4 the design on the obverse or reverse of gold bul5 lion coins struck under this subsection; and 

6 ‘‘(B) change the maximum number of 

7 coins issued in any year. 

8 ‘‘(4) SOURCE OF GOLD BULLION.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

10 acquire gold for the coins issued under this sub11 section by purchase of gold mined from natural 

12 deposits in the United States, or in a territory 

13 or possession of the United States, within 1 

14 year after the month in which the ore from 

15 which it is derived was mined. 

16 ‘‘(B) PRICE OF GOLD.—The Secretary 

17 shall pay not more than the average world price 

18 for the gold mined under subparagraph (A). 

19 ‘‘(5) SALE OF COINS.—Each gold bullion coin 

20 issued under this subsection shall be sold for an 

21 amount the Secretary determines to be appropriate, 

22 but not less than the sum of— 

23 ‘‘(A) the face value of the coins; and 

24 ‘‘(B) the cost of designing and issuing the 

25 coins, including labor, materials, dies, use of 
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1 machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and 

2 shipping. 

3 ‘‘(6) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under 

4 this title shall be legal tender, as provided in section 

5 5103. 

6 ‘‘(7) TREATMENT AS NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For 

7 purposes of section 5134 and 5136, all coins minted 

8 under this subsection shall be considered to be nu9 mismatic items.’’. 

10 TITLE III—ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

11 BICENTENNIAL 1-CENT COIN 

12 REDESIGN 

13 SEC. 301. FINDINGS. 

14 Congress finds the following: 

15 (1) Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, was 

16 one of the Nation’s greatest leaders, demonstrating 

17 true courage during the Civil War, one of the great18 est crises in the Nation’s history. 

19 (2) Born of humble roots in Hardin County 

20 (present-day LaRue County), Kentucky, on Feb21 ruary 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln rose to the Presi22 dency through a combination of honesty, integrity, 

23 intelligence, and commitment to the United States. 
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1 (3) With the belief that all men are created 

2 equal, Abraham Lincoln led the effort to free all 

3 slaves in the United States. 

4 (4) Abraham Lincoln had a generous heart, 

5 with malice toward none, and with charity for all. 

6 (5) Abraham Lincoln gave the ultimate sacrifice 

7 for the country he loved, dying from an assassin’s 

8 bullet on April 15, 1865. 

9 (6) All Americans could benefit from studying 

10 the life of Abraham Lincoln, for Lincoln’s life is a 

11 model for accomplishing the ‘‘American dream’’ 

12 through honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a lifetime of 

13 education. 

14 (7) The year 2009 will be the bicentennial anni15 versary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. 

16 (8) Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, 

17 grew to adulthood in Indiana, achieved fame in Illi18 nois, and led the nation in Washington, D.C. 

19 (9) The so-called ‘‘Lincoln cent’’ was introduced 

20 in 1909 on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, 

21 making the obverse design the most enduring on the 

22 nation’s coinage. 

23 (10) President Theodore Roosevelt was so im24 pressed by the talent of Victor David Brenner that 

25 the sculptor was chosen to design the likeness of 
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1 President Lincoln for the coin, adapting a design 

2 from a plaque Brenner had prepared earlier. 

3 (11) In the nearly 100 years of production of 

4 the ‘‘Lincoln cent’’, there have been only 2 designs 

5 on the reverse: the original, featuring 2 wheat-heads 

6 in memorial style enclosing mottoes, and the current 

7 representation of the Lincoln Memorial in Wash8 ington, D.C. 

9 (12) On the occasion of the bicentennial of 

10 President Lincoln’s birth and the 100th anniversary 

11 of the production of the Lincoln cent, it is entirely 

12 fitting to issue a series of 1-cent coins with designs 

13 on the reverse that are emblematic of the 4 major 

14 periods of President Lincoln’s life. 

15 SEC. 302. REDESIGN OF LINCOLN CENT FOR 2009. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—During the year 2009, the Sec17 retary of the Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins in accord18 ance with the following design specifications: 

19 (1) OBVERSE.—The obverse of the 1-cent coin 

20 shall continue to bear the Victor David Brenner like21 ness of President Abraham Lincoln. 

22 (2) REVERSE.—The reverse of the coins shall 

23 bear 4 different designs each representing a dif24 ferent aspect of the life of Abraham Lincoln, such 

25 as— 
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1 (A) his birth and early childhood in Ken2 tucky; 

3 (B) his formative years in Indiana; 

4 (C) his professional life in Illinois; and 

5 (D) his presidency, in Washington, D.C. 

6 (b) ISSUANCE OF REDESIGNED LINCOLN CENTS IN

7 2009.— 

8 (1) ORDER.—The 1-cent coins to which this 

9 section applies shall be issued with 1 of the 4 de10 signs referred to in subsection (a)(2) beginning at 

11 the start of each calendar quarter of 2009. 

12 (2) NUMBER.—The Secretary shall prescribe, 

13 on the basis of such factors as the Secretary deter14 mines to be appropriate, the number of 1-cent coins 

15 that shall be issued with each of the designs selected 

16 for each calendar quarter of 2009. 

17 (c) DESIGN SELECTION.—The designs for the coins 

18 specified in this section shall be chosen by the Secretary— 

19 (1) after consultation with the Abraham Lin20 coln Bicentennial Commission and the Commission 

21 of Fine Arts; and 

22 (2) after review by the Citizens Coinage Advi23 sory Committee. 
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1 SEC. 303. REDESIGN OF REVERSE OF 1-CENT COINS AFTER 

2 2009. 

3 The design on the reverse of the 1-cent coins issued 

4 after December 31, 2009, shall bear an image emblematic 

5 of President Lincoln’s preservation of the United States 

6 of America as a single and united country. 

7 SEC. 304. NUMISMATIC PENNIES WITH THE SAME METAL8 LIC CONTENT AS THE 1909 PENNY. 

9 The Secretary of the Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins 

10 in 2009 with the exact metallic content as the 1-cent coin 

11 contained in 1909 in such number as the Secretary deter12 mines to be appropriate for numismatic purposes 

13 SEC. 305. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS. 

14 It is the sense of the Congress that the original Victor 

15 David Brenner design for the 1-cent coin was a dramatic 

16 departure from previous American coinage that should be 

17 reproduced, using the original form and relief of the like18 ness of Abraham Lincoln, on the 1-cent coins issued in 

19 2009. 

Calendar No. 190

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1047

A BILL

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 

new bullion coin, and for other purposes. improve circulation of the $1 coin, to create a past Presidents and their spouses, respectively, to coins in commemoration of each of the Nation’s 

JULY 29, 2005

Reported without amendment