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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 64

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

of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 6, 1999

Mr. BEREUTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Banking and Financial Services

A BILL

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins

in commemoration of the bicentennial of the Lewis and

Clark Expedition, 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 ‘‘Lewis and Clark Expe5 dition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—

8 (1) the expedition commanded by Meriwether

9 Lewis and William Clark, which came to be called

10 ‘‘The Corps of Discovery’’, was one of the most re-
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1 markable and productive scientific and military ex2 ploring expeditions in all American history;

3 (2) President Thomas Jefferson gave Lewis and

4 Clark the mission to ‘‘explore the Missouri River &

5 such principal stream of it, as, by its course and

6 communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean,

7 whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado, or any

8 other river may offer the most direct and practical

9 water communication across this continent for the

10 purposes of commerce’’;

11 (3) the Expedition, in response to President

12 Jefferson’s directive, greatly advanced our geo13 graphical knowledge of the continent and prepared

14 the way for the extension of the American fur trade

15 with American Indian tribes throughout the land;

16 (4) President Jefferson directed the explorers to

17 take note of and carefully record the natural re18 sources of the newly acquired territory known as

19 Louisiana, as well as diligently report on the native

20 inhabitants of the land;

21 (5) the Expedition departed St. Louis, Missouri

22 on May 14, 1804;

23 (6) the Expedition held its first meeting with

24 American Indians at Council Bluff near present-day

25 Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, in August 1804, spent its
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1 first winter at Fort Mandan, North Dakota, crossed

2 the Rocky Mountains by the mouth of the Columbia

3 River in mid-November of that year, and wintered at

4 Fort Clatsop, near the present-day city of Astoria,

5 Oregon;

6 (7) the Expedition returned to St. Louis, Mis7 souri, on September 23, 1806, after a 28-month

8 journey covering 8,000 miles during which it tra9 versed 11 future States: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas,

10 Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mon11 tana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon;

12 (8) accounts from the journals of Lewis and

13 Clark and the detailed maps that were prepared by

14 the Expedition enhance knowledge of the western

15 continent and routes for commerce;

16 (9) the Expedition significantly enhanced ami17 cable relationships between the United States and

18 the autonomous American Indian nations, and the

19 friendship and respect fostered between American

20 Indian tribes and the Expedition represents the best

21 of diplomacy and relationships between divergent na22 tions and cultures; and

23 (10) the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been

24 called the most perfect expedition of its kind in the
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1 history of the world and paved the way for the

2 United States to become a great world power.

3 SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

4 (a) DENOMINATIONS.—In commemoration of the bi5 centennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Sec6 retary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to

7 as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue—

8 (1) not more than 200,000 $1 coins, each of

9 which shall—

10 (A) weigh 26.73 grams;

11 (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and

12 (C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 per13 cent copper; and

14 (2) not more than 200,000 half dollar coins,

15 each of which shall—

16 (A) weigh 12.50 grams;

17 (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and

18 (C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 per19 cent copper.

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

21 title shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of

22 title 31, United States Code.

23 (c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section

24 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted

25 under this title shall be considered to be numismatic items.
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1 SEC. 4. SOURCES OF BULLION.

2 The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins

3 under this title from any available source, including stock4 piles established under the Strategic and Critical Mate5 rials Stock Piling Act.

6 SEC. 5. DESIGN OF COINS.

7 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—

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

9 minted under this title shall be emblematic of the ex10 pedition of Lewis and Clark.

11 (2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On

12 each coin minted under this title there shall be—

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

14 (B) an inscription of the years ‘‘1804–

15 1806’’; and

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

17 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer18 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’.

19 (3) OBVERSE OF COIN.—The obverse of each

20 coin minted under this title shall bear the likeness

21 of Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William

22 Clark.

23 (4) GENERAL DESIGN.—In designing this coin,

24 the Secretary shall also consider incorporating ap25 propriate elements from the Jefferson Peace and

26 Friendship Medal which Lewis and Clark presented
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1 to the Chiefs of the various Indian tribes they en2 countered and shall consider recognizing Native

3 American culture.

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

5 under this title shall be selected by the Secretary after

6 consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and shall

7 be reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory

8 Committee.

9 SEC. 6. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

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

11 title shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.

12 (b) MINT FACILITY.—Only 1 facility of the United

13 States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality

14 of the coins minted under this title.

15 (c) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary

16 may issue coins minted under this title beginning on Janu17 ary 1, 2003.

18 (d) TERMINATION OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No

19 coins may be minted under this title after December 31,

20 2003.

21 SEC. 7. SALE OF COINS.

22 (a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this title

23 shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum

24 of—

25 (1) the face value of the coins;
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1 (2) the surcharge provided in subsection (d)

2 with respect to such coins; and

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

4 (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery,

5 overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping).

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

7 sales of the coins issued under this title at a reasonable

8 discount.

9 (c) PREPAID ORDERS.—

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

11 prepaid orders for the coins minted under this title

12 before the issuance of such coins.

13 (2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to pre14 paid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a rea15 sonable discount.

16 (d) SURCHARGES.—All sales of coins minted under

17 this title shall include a surcharge of—

18 (1) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and

19 (2) $7 per coin for the half dollar coin.

20 SEC. 8. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title

22 31, United States Code, the proceeds from the surcharges

23 received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued

24 under this title shall be promptly paid by the Secretary

25 as follows:
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1 (1) NATIONAL LEWIS AND CLARK BICENTENNIAL COUNCIL.—2 2 ⁄3 to the National Lewis and Clark

3 Bicentennial Council, for activities associated with

4 commemorating the bicentennial of the Expedition.

(2) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.—1 5 ⁄3 to the Na6 tional Park Service for activities associated with

7 commemorating the bicentennial of the Lewis and

8 Clark Expedition.

9 (b) AUDITS.—Each organization that receives any

10 payment from the Secretary under this section shall be

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

12 title 31, United States Code.

13 SEC. 9. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.

14 (a) NO NET COST TO THE GOVERNMENT.—The Sec15 retary shall take such actions as may be necessary to en16 sure that minting and issuing coins under this title will

17 not result in any net cost to the United States Govern18 ment.

19 (b) PAYMENT FOR COINS.—A coin shall not be issued

20 under this title unless the Secretary has received—

21 (1) full payment for the coin;

22 (2) security satisfactory to the Secretary to in23 demnify the United States for full payment; or

24 (3) a guarantee of full payment satisfactory to

25 the Secretary from a depository institution whose
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1 deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insur2 ance Corporation or the National Credit Union Ad3 ministration Board.

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