II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2399 

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

American innovation and significant innovation and pioneering efforts 

of individuals or groups from each of the 50 States, the District of 

Columbia, and the United States territories, to promote the importance 

of innovation in the United States, the District of Columbia, and the 

United States territories, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 7, 2018 

Mr. MURPHY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 

in recognition of American innovation and significant 

innovation and pioneering efforts of individuals or groups 

from each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, 

and the United States territories, to promote the importance of innovation in the United States, the District 

of Columbia, and the United States territories, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Innovation 

3 $1 Coin Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. AMERICAN INNOVATION $1 COIN PROGRAM. 

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

6 amended by inserting after subsection (v) the following 

7 new subsection: 

8 ‘‘(w) REDESIGN AND ISSUANCE OF $1 COINS HON9 ORING INNOVATION AND INNOVATORS FROM EACH

10 STATE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND EACH TERRI11 TORY.— 

12 ‘‘(1) REDESIGN BEGINNING IN 2019.— 

13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sub14 section (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2) and in ac15 cordance with the provisions of this subsection, 

16 during the 14-year period beginning on January 

17 1, 2019 (or such later date as provided under 

18 subparagraph (B)(ii)), the Secretary of the 

19 Treasury shall mint and issue $1 coins to be 

20 known as ‘American Innovation $1 coins’, 

21 that— 

22 ‘‘(i) have designs on the obverse se23 lected in accordance with paragraph 

24 (2)(A); and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) have a design on the reverse se2 lected in accordance with paragraph 

3 (2)(B). 

4 ‘‘(B) CONTINUITY PROVISIONS.— 

5 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 

6 subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall con7 tinue to mint and issue $1 coins honoring 

8 Native Americans and their contributions 

9 in accordance with subsection (r). 

10 ‘‘(ii) FIRST COIN.—Notwithstanding 

11 subparagraph (A), if the Secretary finds 

12 that it is feasible and cost-effective, the 

13 Secretary may mint and issue a $1 coin in 

14 2018 to introduce the series of coins de15 scribed in this subsection, that— 

16 ‘‘(I) has the obverse described 

17 under paragraph (2)(A); 

18 ‘‘(II) has a reverse that bears the 

19 inscription ‘United States of America’ 

20 and ‘American Innovators’ and a rep21 resentation of the signature of Presi22 dent George Washington on the first 

23 United States patent issued; 

24 ‘‘(III) has the edge-incusing de25 scribed under paragraph (2)(C); and 


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1 ‘‘(IV) the design for which has 

2 reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Ad3 visory Committee. 

4 ‘‘(C) DEFINITION OF TERRITORY.—For 

5 purposes of this subsection, the term ‘territory’ 

6 means the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 

7 Guam, American Samoa, the United States Vir8 gin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the 

9 Northern Mariana Islands. 

10 ‘‘(2) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—Notwithstand11 ing subsection (d)(1) and subsection (d)(2), the $1 

12 coins issued in accordance with paragraph (1)(A) 

13 shall meet the following design requirements: 

14 ‘‘(A) COIN OBVERSE.—The common design 

15 on the obverse of each coin issued under this 

16 subsection shall contain— 

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; 

21 ‘‘(ii) the inscription ‘$1’; and 

22 ‘‘(iii) the inscription ‘In God We 

23 Trust’. 


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

2 reverse of each coin issued under this sub3 section shall bear the following: 

4 ‘‘(i) An image or images emblematic 

5 of one of the following from one of the 50 

6 States, the District of Columbia, or the 

7 territories of the United States: 

8 ‘‘(I) A significant innovation. 

9 ‘‘(II) An innovator. 

10 ‘‘(III) A group of innovators. 

11 ‘‘(ii) The name of the State, the Dis12 trict of Columbia, or territory, as applica13 ble. 

14 ‘‘(iii) The inscription ‘United States 

15 of America’. 

16 ‘‘(C) EDGE-INCUSED INSCRIPTIONS.— 

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

18 the year of minting or issuance of the coin, 

19 the mint mark, and the inscription ‘E 

20 Pluribus Unum’ shall be edge-incused into 

21 the coin. 

22 ‘‘(ii) PRESERVATION OF DISTINCTIVE

23 EDGE.—The edge-incusing of the inscrip24 tions under clause (i) on coins issued 

25 under this subsection shall be done in a 


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1 manner that preserves the distinctive edge 

2 of the coin so that the denomination of the 

3 coin is readily discernible, including by in4 dividuals who are blind or visually im5 paired. 

6 ‘‘(3) ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMORATING IN7 NOVATION OR INNOVATORS.— 

8 ‘‘(A) ORDER OF ISSUANCE.—The coins 

9 issued under this subsection commemorating ei10 ther an innovation, an individual innovator, or 

11 a group of innovators, from each State, the Dis12 trict of Columbia, or a territory shall be issued 

13 in alphabetic order of the State, the District, or 

14 territory represented, starting with Alabama, 

15 and with the District of Columbia following 

16 Delaware. 

17 ‘‘(B) ISSUANCE OF COINS COMMEMO18 RATING FOUR INNOVATIONS OR INNOVATORS

19 DURING EACH OF 14 YEARS.— 

20 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Four $1 coin de21 signs as described in this subsection shall 

22 be issued during each year of the period 

23 referred to in paragraph (1) until one coin 

24 featuring one innovation, an individual in25 novator, or a group of innovators, from 


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1 each of the States, the District of Colum2 bia, and territories has been issued. 

3 ‘‘(ii) NUMBER OF COINS OF EACH DE4 SIGN.—The Secretary shall prescribe, on 

5 the basis of such factors as the Secretary 

6 determines to be appropriate, the number 

7 of $1 coins that shall be issued with each 

8 of the designs selected for each year of the 

9 period referred to in paragraph (1). 

10 ‘‘(iii) APPLICATION IN EVENT OF THE

11 ADMISSION OF ADDITIONAL STATES OR

12 TERRITORIES.—Notwithstanding clause (i), 

13 if any additional State or territory is ad14 mitted into the Union before the end of the 

15 14-year period referred to in paragraph 

16 (1), the Secretary of the Treasury may 

17 issue $1 coins with respect to such addi18 tional State or territory, in accordance 

19 with this subsection during any one year of 

20 such 14-year period, in addition to the four 

21 $1 coins issued during such year in accord22 ance with clause (i). 

23 ‘‘(iv) APPLICATION IN THE EVENT OF

24 INDEPENDENCE.—Notwithstanding para25 graph (3)(B)(i), if any territory becomes 


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1 independent or otherwise ceases to be a 

2 territory of the United States before $1 

3 coins are minted pursuant to this sub4 section, the subsection shall cease to apply 

5 with respect to such territory. 

6 ‘‘(4) SELECTION OF CONCEPT AND DESIGN.— 

7 ‘‘(A) CONCEPT.—With respect to each 

8 State, the District of Columbia, and each terri9 tory to be honored with a coin under this sub10 section, the selection of the significant innova11 tion, innovator, or group of innovators to be 

12 borne on the reverse of such coin shall be made 

13 by the Secretary of the Treasury, after con14 sultation with the Governor or other chief exec15 utive of the State, the District of Columbia, or 

16 territory with respect to which a coin is to be 

17 issued under this subsection. 

18 ‘‘(B) DESIGN.—Each of the designs re19 quired under this subsection shall be selected by 

20 the Secretary after— 

21 ‘‘(i) consultation with— 

22 ‘‘(I) the Governor or other chief 

23 executive of the State, the District of 

24 Columbia, or territory with respect to 


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1 which a coin is to be issued under this 

2 subsection; and 

3 ‘‘(II) the Commission of Fine 

4 Arts; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) review by the Citizens Coinage 

6 Advisory Committee. 

7 ‘‘(C) SELECTION AND APPROVAL PROC8 ESS.—Proposals for designs for $1 coins under 

9 this subsection may be submitted in accordance 

10 with the design selection and approval process 

11 developed by the Secretary in the sole discretion 

12 of the Secretary. 

13 ‘‘(D) STANDARDS.—Because it is impor14 tant that the Nation’s coinage and currency 

15 bear dignified designs of which the citizens of 

16 the United States can be proud, the Secretary 

17 shall not select any frivolous or inappropriate 

18 design for any $1 coin minted under this sub19 section. 

20 ‘‘(E) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN REP21 RESENTATIONS.—No head and shoulders por22 trait or bust of any person and no portrait of 

23 a living person may be included in the design 

24 of any coin issued under this subsection. 


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1 ‘‘(5) TREATMENT AS NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For 

2 purposes of sections 5134 and 5136, all $1 coins 

3 minted under this subsection shall be considered to 

4 be numismatic items. 

5 ‘‘(6) ISSUANCE OF NUMISMATIC COINS.—The 

6 Secretary may mint and issue such number of $1 

7 coins of each design selected under this subsection 

8 in uncirculated and proof qualities as the Secretary 

9 determines to be appropriate. 

10 ‘‘(7) TERMINATION OF PROGRAM.—The issu11 ance of coins under this subsection shall terminate 

12 when one innovation, an individual innovator, or a 

13 group of innovators, from each State, the District of 

14 Columbia, and each territory has been honored and 

15 may not be resumed except by an Act of Congress.’’. 

Æ 


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