PUBLIC LAW 112–201—DEC. 4, 2012 126 STAT. 1479 

Public Law 112–201 

112th Congress 

An Act 

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

Twain. 

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 ‘‘Mark Twain Commemorative 

Coin Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds as follows: 

(1) Samuel Clemens—better known to the world as Mark 

Twain—was a unique American voice whose literary work has 

had a lasting effect on our Nation’s history and culture. 

(2) Mark Twain remains one of the best known Americans 

in the world with over 6,500 editions of his books translated 

into 75 languages. 

(3) Mark Twain’s literary and educational legacy remains 

strong even today, with nearly every book he wrote still in 

print, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures 

of Huckleberry Finn—both of which have never gone out of 

print since they were first published over a century ago. 

(4) In the past 2 decades alone, there have been more 

than 100 books published and over 250 doctoral dissertations 

written on Mark Twain’s life and work. 

(5) Even today, Americans seek to know more about the 

life and work of Mark Twain, as people from around the world 

and across all 50 States annually flock to National Historic 

Landmarks like the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, 

CT, and the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, MO. 

(6) Mark Twain’s work is remembered today for addressing 

the complex social issues facing America at the turn of the 

century, including the legacy of the Civil War, race relations, 

and the economic inequalities of the ‘‘Gilded Age’’. 

(7) Today Mark Twain’s work lives on through educational 

institutions throughout the United States, such as the Mark 

Twain Project at the Bancroft Library of the University of 

California, Berkeley, California, and the Center for Mark Twain 

Studies at Elmira College, in Elmira, New York. 

31 USC 5112 

note. 

Mark Twain 

Commemorative 

Coin Act. 

31 USC 5112 

note. 

Dec. 4, 2012 

[H.R. 2453] 


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126 STAT. 1480 PUBLIC LAW 112–201—DEC. 4, 2012 

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 

(a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 

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

the following coins: 

(1) $5 GOLD COINS.—Not more than 100,000 $5 coins, which 

shall— 

(A) weigh 8.359 grams; 

(B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and 

(C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy. 

(2) $1 SILVER COINS.—Not more than 350,000 $1 coins, 

which shall— 

(A) weigh 26.73 grams; 

(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 

(C) 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. 

(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 5134 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) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins minted under 

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

Twain. 

(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 ‘‘2016’’; 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 Board of the Mark Twain 

House and Museum; 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, 2016. 

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 

31 USC 5112 

note. 

31 USC 5112 

note. 

31 USC 5112 

note. 

31 USC 5112 

note. 


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PUBLIC LAW 112–201—DEC. 4, 2012 126 STAT. 1481 

(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— (1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin; and 

(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin. 

(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f)(1) of 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 as follows: 

(1) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain 

House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support the 

continued restoration of the Mark Twain house and grounds, 

and ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum 

programming to research, promote and educate on the legacy 

of Mark Twain. 

(2) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the University of 

California, Berkeley, California, for the benefit of the Mark 

Twain Project at the Bancroft Library to support programs 

to study and promote the legacy of Mark Twain. 

(3) One-quarter of the surcharges, to Elmira College, New 

York, to be used for research and education purposes. 

(4) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve 

historical sites related to Mark Twain and help support programs to study and promote his legacy. 

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

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

and other data of each of the organizations referred to in paragraphs 

(1), (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (b) as may be related to the 

expenditures of amounts paid under such subsection. 

(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. 

SEC. 8. NO NET COST. 

The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary 

to ensure that— 

(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not result 

in any net cost to the United States Government; and 

31 USC 5112 

note. 

31 USC 5112 

note. 


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126 STAT. 1482 PUBLIC LAW 112–201—DEC. 4, 2012 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2453: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012): 

Apr. 16, 18, considered and passed House. 

Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

Nov. 14, 15, House considered and concurred in Senate amendments. 

Æ 

(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are disbursed 

to any recipient designated in section 7 until the total cost 

of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized by this 

Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead 

expenses, marketing, and shipping) is recovered by the United 

States Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) 

of title 31, United States Code. 

Approved December 4, 2012. 


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