II

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 678

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 10, 1998

Received

AN ACT

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins

in commemoration of Thomas Alva Edison and the 125th

anniversary of Edison’s invention of the light bulb, 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 ‘‘Thomas Alva Edison

3 Commemorative Coin Act’’.

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

5 The Congress finds the following:

6 (1) Thomas Alva Edison, one of America’s

7 greatest inventors, was born on February 11, 1847,

8 in Milan, Ohio.

9 (2) The inexhaustible energy and genius of

10 Thomas A. Edison produced more than 1,300 inven11 tions in his lifetime, including the incandescent light

12 bulb and the phonograph.

13 (3) In 1928, Thomas A. Edison received the

14 Congressional gold medal ‘‘for development and ap15 plication of inventions that have revolutionized civili16 zation in the last century’’.

17 (4) 2004 will mark the 125th anniversary of

18 the invention of the light bulb by Thomas A. Edison

19 in 1879, the 1st practical incandescent electric lamp.

20 SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

21 (a) DENOMINATION.—In commemoration of the

22 125th anniversary of the invention of the light bulb by

23 Thomas A. Edison, the Secretary of the Treasury (here24 after in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint

25 and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins, each of which

26 shall—
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1 (1) weigh 26.73 grams;

2 (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and

3 (3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent

4 copper.

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

6 Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of

7 title 31, United States Code.

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

9 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted

10 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

11 SEC. 4. SOURCES OF BULLION.

12 The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins

13 under this Act from any available source, including stock14 piles established under the Strategic and Critical Mate15 rials Stock Piling Act.

16 SEC. 5. DESIGN OF COINS.

17 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—

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

19 minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the

20 light bulb and the many inventions made by Thomas

21 A. Edison throughout his prolific life.

22 (2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On

23 each coin minted under this Act there shall be—

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

25 and
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1 (B) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’,

2 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer3 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’.

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

5 coin minted under this Act shall bear the likeness of

6 Thomas A. Edison.

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

8 under this Act shall be—

9 (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation

10 with the Commission of Fine Arts; and

11 (2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative

12 Coin Advisory Committee.

13 SEC. 6. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

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

15 Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.

16 (b) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary

17 may issue coins minted under this Act beginning on Janu18 ary 1, 2004.

19 (c) TERMINATION OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No

20 coins may be minted under this Act after December 31,

21 2004.

22 SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins minted under

24 this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
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1 (b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of

2 title 31, United States Code, the first $5,000,000 of the

3 surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins

4 issued under this Act shall be paid by the Secretary as

5 follows:

(1) MUSEUM OF ARTS AND HISTORY.—Up to 1 6 ⁄8

7 to the Museum of Arts and History, in the city of

8 Port Huron, Michigan, for the endowment and con9 struction of a special museum on the life of Thomas

10 A. Edison in Port Huron.

11 (2) EDISON BIRTHPLACE ASSOCIATION.—Up to

1 12 ⁄8 to the Edison Birthplace Association, Incor13 porated, in Milan, Ohio, to assist in the efforts of

14 the association to raise an endowment as a perma15 nent source of support for the repair and mainte16 nance of the Thomas A. Edison birthplace, a na17 tional historic landmark.

(3) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.—Up to 1 18 ⁄8 to the

19 National Park Service, for use in protecting, restor20 ing, and cataloguing historic documents and objects

21 at the ‘‘invention factory’’ of Thomas A. Edison in

22 West Orange, New Jersey.

(4) EDISON PLAZA MUSEUM.—Up to 1 23 ⁄8 to the

24 Edison Plaza Museum in Beaumont, Texas, for ex-
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1 panding educational programs on Thomas A. Edison

2 and for the repair and maintenance of the museum.

3 (5) EDISON WINTER HOME AND MUSEUM.—Up

to 1 4 ⁄8 to the Edison Winter Home and Museum in

5 Fort Myers, Florida, for historic preservation, res6 toration, and maintenance of the historic home and

7 chemical laboratory of Thomas A. Edison.

(6) EDISON INSTITUTE.—Up to 1 8 ⁄8 to the Edi9 son Institute, otherwise known as ‘‘Greenfield Vil10 lage’’, in Dearborn, Michigan, for use in maintaining

11 and expanding displays and educational programs

12 associated with Thomas A. Edison.

(7) EDISON MEMORIAL TOWER.—Up to 1 13 ⁄8 to

14 the Edison Memorial Tower in Edison, New Jersey,

15 for the preservation, restoration, and expansion of

16 the tower and museum.

(8) HALL OF ELECTRICAL HISTORY.—Up to 1 17 ⁄8

18 to the Schenectady Museum Association in Schenec19 tady, New York, for the historic preservation of ma20 terials of Thomas A. Edison and for the develop21 ment of educational programs associated with Thom22 as A. Edison.

23 (c) AUDITS.—Each organization that receives any

24 payment from the Secretary under this section shall be
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1 subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of

2 title 31, United States Code.

Passed the House of Representatives September 9,

1998.

Attest: ROBIN H. CARLE,

Clerk.