I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 64
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 6, 1999
Mr. BEREUTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Banking and Financial Services
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins
in commemoration of the bicentennial of the Lewis and
Clark Expedition, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lewis and Clark Expe-
dition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) the expedition commanded by Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark, which came to be called
‘‘The Corps of Discovery’’, was one of the most re-
markable and productive scientific and military ex-
ploring expeditions in all American history;
(2) President Thomas Jefferson gave Lewis and
Clark the mission to ‘‘explore the Missouri River &
such principal stream of it, as, by its course and
communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean,
whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado, or any
other river may offer the most direct and practical
water communication across this continent for the
purposes of commerce’’;
(3) the Expedition, in response to President
Jefferson’s directive, greatly advanced our geo-
graphical knowledge of the continent and prepared
the way for the extension of the American fur trade
with American Indian tribes throughout the land;
(4) President Jefferson directed the explorers to
take note of and carefully record the natural re-
sources of the newly acquired territory known as
Louisiana, as well as diligently report on the native
inhabitants of the land;
(5) the Expedition departed St. Louis, Missouri
on May 14, 1804;
(6) the Expedition held its first meeting with
American Indians at Council Bluff near present-day
Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, in August 1804, spent its
first winter at Fort Mandan, North Dakota, crossed
the Rocky Mountains by the mouth of the Columbia
River in mid-November of that year, and wintered at
Fort Clatsop, near the present-day city of Astoria,
Oregon;
(7) the Expedition returned to St. Louis, Mis-
souri, on September 23, 1806, after a 28-month
journey covering 8,000 miles during which it tra-
versed 11 future States: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas,
Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mon-
tana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon;
(8) accounts from the journals of Lewis and
Clark and the detailed maps that were prepared by
the Expedition enhance knowledge of the western
continent and routes for commerce;
(9) the Expedition significantly enhanced ami-
cable relationships between the United States and
the autonomous American Indian nations, and the
friendship and respect fostered between American
Indian tribes and the Expedition represents the best
of diplomacy and relationships between divergent na-
tions and cultures; and
(10) the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been
called the most perfect expedition of its kind in the
history of the world and paved the way for the
United States to become a great world power.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—In commemoration of the bi-
centennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Sec-
retary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to
as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue—
(1) not more than 200,000 $1 coins, each of
which shall—
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 per-
cent copper; and
(2) not more than 200,000 half dollar coins,
each of which shall—
(A) weigh 12.50 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 per-
cent copper.
(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this
title 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 title shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 4. SOURCES OF BULLION.
The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins
under this title from any available source, including stock-
piles established under the Strategic and Critical Mate-
rials Stock Piling Act.
SEC. 5. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The design of the coins
minted under this title shall be emblematic of the ex-
pedition of Lewis and Clark.
(2) DESIGNATION
AND
INSCRIPTIONS.—On
each coin minted under this title there shall be—
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the years ‘‘1804–
1806’’; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’,
‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer-
ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’.
(3) OBVERSE OF COIN.—The obverse of each
coin minted under this title shall bear the likeness
of Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark.
(4) GENERAL DESIGN.—In designing this coin,
the Secretary shall also consider incorporating ap-
propriate elements from the Jefferson Peace and
Friendship Medal which Lewis and Clark presented
(2) the surcharge provided in subsection (d)
with respect to such coins; and
(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 title at a reasonable
discount.
(c) PREPAID ORDERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept
prepaid orders for the coins minted under this title
before the issuance of such coins.
(2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to pre-
paid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a rea-
sonable discount.
(d) SURCHARGES.—All sales of coins minted under
this title shall include a surcharge of—
(1) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and
(2) $7 per coin for the half dollar coin.
SEC. 8. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title
31, United States Code, the proceeds from the surcharges
received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued
under this title shall be promptly paid by the Secretary
as follows:
(1) NATIONAL LEWIS AND CLARK BICENTEN-
NIAL COUNCIL.—2⁄3 to the National Lewis and Clark
Bicentennial Council, for activities associated with
commemorating the bicentennial of the Expedition.
(2) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.—1⁄3 to the Na-
tional Park Service for activities associated with
commemorating the bicentennial of the Lewis and
Clark Expedition.
(b) AUDITS.—Each organization that receives any
payment from the Secretary under this section shall be
subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of
title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 9. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.
(a) NO NET COST TO THE GOVERNMENT.—The Sec-
retary shall take such actions as may be necessary to en-
sure that minting and issuing coins under this title will
not result in any net cost to the United States Govern-
ment.
(b) PAYMENT FOR COINS.—A coin shall not be issued
under this title unless the Secretary has received—
(1) full payment for the coin;
(2) security satisfactory to the Secretary to in-
demnify the United States for full payment; or
(3) a guarantee of full payment satisfactory to
the Secretary from a depository institution whose
deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insur-
ance Corporation or the National Credit Union Ad-
ministration Board.
Æ