I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5115 

To award posthumously a Congressional gold medal to Constantino Brumidi. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2004 

Mr. MICA (for himself and Mr. BILIRAKIS) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To award posthumously a Congressional gold medal to 

Constantino Brumidi. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) On July 26, 1805, Constantino Brumidi 

6 was born in Rome, Italy of an Italian mother and 

7 a Greek father who inspired him with a love of lib8 erty. 

9 (2) While Constantino Brumidi’s Greek ances10 try stirred his passion for liberty and citizenship, his 

11 Italian heritage provided the art styles of the Ren-
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1 aissance and the Baroque which influenced the art2 work of the United States Capitol. 

3 (3) Constantino Brumidi became a citizen of 

4 the United States as soon as he was able, embracing 

5 its history, values, and ideals. 

6 (4) Beginning in 1855, Constantino Brumidi 

7 designed and decorated one House and five Senate 

8 committee rooms in the Capitol, as well as the Sen9 ate Reception Room, the Office of the Vice Presi10 dent, and, most notably, the President’s Room, 

11 which represents Brumidi’s supreme effort ‘‘to make 

12 beautiful the Capitol’’ of the United States. 

13 (5) In 1865 Constantino Brumidi completed in 

14 just 11 months his masterpiece, ‘‘The Apotheosis of 

15 Washington,’’ in the eye of the Capitol dome. 

16 (6) In 1871 Constantino Brumidi created the 

17 first tribute to an African American in the Capitol 

18 when he placed the figure of Crispus Attucks at the 

19 center of his fresco of the Boston Massacre. 

20 (7) In 1878 Constantino Brumidi at the age of 

21 72 and in poor health, began work on the Rotunda 

22 frieze, which chronicles the history of America. 

23 (8) On February 19, 1880, Constantino 

24 Brumidi died at the age of 74, four and a half 
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1 months after slipping and nearly falling from a scaf2 fold while working on the Rotunda frieze. 

3 (9) Constantino Brumidi, proud of his artistic 

4 accomplishments and devoted to his adopted coun5 try, said, ‘‘My one ambition and my daily prayer is 

6 that I may live long enough to make beautiful the 

7 Capitol of the one country on earth in which there 

8 is liberty.’’. 

9 (10) Constantino Brumidi’s life and work exem10 plify the lives of millions of immigrants who came to 

11 pursue the American dream. 

12 (11) 2005 marks the bicentennial of 

13 Constantino Brumidi’s birth. 

14 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

15 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

16 the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tem17 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

18 for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold 

19 medal of appropriate design, to the family of Constantino 

20 Brumidi, in recognition of the contributions of 

21 Constantino Brumidi to the Nation. 

22 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the 

23 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 

24 of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec25 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 
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1 devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Sec2 retary. 

3 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

4 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

5 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 

6 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 

7 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 

8 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 

9 and the cost of the gold medal. 

10 SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

11 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck under 

12 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

13 of title 31, United States Code. 

14 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 

15 5134 of title 31, Unites States Code, all medals struck 

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

17 SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 

18 SALE. 

19 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 

20 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

21 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec22 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant 

23 to this Act. 

24 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

25 sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 
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1 3 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 

2 Enterprise Fund. 

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