II

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2205

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

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

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 23, 1998

Mr. DORGAN 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 commemoration of the bicentennial of the Lewis &

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) in 1803, President Jefferson directed the

17 explorers to take note of and carefully record the

18 natural resources of the newly acquired territory

19 known as Louisiana, as well as diligently report on

20 the native inhabitants of the land, with preparations

21 taking place that year;

22 (5) the Expedition departed the St. Louis, Mis23 souri area, on May 14, 1804;

24 (6) the Expedition held its first meeting with

25 American Indians at Council Bluff near present-day
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1 Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, in August 1804, spent its

2 first winter at Fort Mandan, North Dakota, crossed

3 the Rocky Mountains by the mouth of the Columbia

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

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

6 Oregon;

7 (7) the Expedition returned to St. Louis, Mis8 souri, on September 23, 1806, after a 28-month

9 journey covering 8,000 miles during which it tra10 versed 11 future States: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas,

11 Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mon12 tana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon;

13 (8) accounts from the journals of Lewis and

14 Clark and the detailed maps that were prepared by

15 the Expedition enhanced knowledge of the western

16 continent and routes for commerce;

17 (9) the Expedition significantly enhanced ami18 cable relationships between the United States and

19 the autonomous American Indian nations, and the

20 friendship and respect fostered between American

21 Indian tribes and the Expedition represents the best

22 of diplomacy and relationships between divergent na23 tions and cultures; and

24 (10) the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been

25 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. 101. 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 1.5 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 1, 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. 102. SOURCES OF BULLION.

2 The Secretary may obtain bullion from sources as

3 deemed fit, including stockpiles established under the

4 Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act.

5 SEC. 103. DESIGN OF COINS.

6 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—

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

8 minted under this title shall be emblematic of the ex9 pedition of Lewis and Clark.

10 (2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On

11 each coin minted under this title there shall be—

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

13 (B) an inscription of the years ‘‘1803–

14 1806’’; and

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

16 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States Of Amer17 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’.

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

19 coin minted under this title shall bear the likeness

20 of Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William

21 Clark.

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

23 the Secretary shall also consider incorporating ap24 propriate elements from the Jefferson Peace and

25 Friendship Medal which Lewis and Clark presented

26 to the Chiefs of the various Indian tribes they en-
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1 countered and shall consider recognizing Native

2 American culture.

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

4 under this title shall be selected by the Secretary after

5 consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and shall

6 be reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory

7 Committee.

8 SEC. 104. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

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

10 title shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.

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

12 States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality

13 of the coins minted under this title.

14 (c) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary

15 may issue coins minted under this title beginning on and

16 after the date of enactment of this Act.

17 (d) TERMINATION OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No

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

19 2003.

20 SEC. 105. SALE OF COINS.

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

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

23 of—

24 (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 coins issued under this title at a reasonable dis8 count.

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. 106. 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.

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