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 ‘‘United States Army 
Commemorative Coin Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
(1) the United States Army, founded in 1775, 
has served this country well for over 230 years; 
(2) the United States Army has played a deci-
sive role in protecting and defending freedom 
throughout the history of the United States, from 
the Colonial period to today, in wartime and in 
peace, and has consistently answered the call to 
serve the American people at home and abroad since 
the Revolutionary War; 
(3) the sacrifice of the American soldier, of all 
ranks, since the earliest days of the Republic has 
been immense and is deserving of the unique rec-
ognition bestowed by commemorative coinage; 
(4) the Army, the Nation’s oldest and largest 
military service, is the only service branch that cur-
rently does not have a comprehensive national mu-
seum celebrating, preserving, and displaying its her-
itage and honoring its veterans;
(5) the National Museum of the United States 
Army will be— 
(A) the Army’s only service-wide, national 
museum honoring all soldiers, of all ranks, in 
all branches since 1775; and 
(B) located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 
across the Potomac River from the Nation’s 
Capitol, a 10-minute drive from Mount Vernon, 
the home of the Army’s first Commander-in- 
Chief, and astride the Civil War’s decisive 
Washington-Richmond corridor; 
(6) the Army Historical Foundation (hereafter 
in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Foundation’’), found-
ed in 1983— 
(A) is dedicated to preserving the history 
and heritage of the American soldier; and 
(B) seeks to educate future Americans to 
fully appreciate the sacrifices that generations 
of American soldiers have made to safeguard 
the freedoms of this Nation; 
(7) the completion and opening to the public of 
the National Museum of the United States Army 
will immeasurably help in fulfilling that mission; 
(8) the Foundation is a nongovernmental, mem-
ber-based, and publicly supported nonprofit organi-
zation that is dependent on funds from members, 
donations, and grants for support; 
(9) the Foundation uses such support to help 
create the National Museum of the United States 
Army, refurbish historical Army buildings, acquire 
and conserve Army historical art and artifacts, sup-
port Army history educational programs, for re-
search, and publication of historical materials on the 
American soldier, and to provide support and coun-
sel to private and governmental organizations com-
mitted to the same goals as the Foundation; 
(10) in 2000, the Secretary of the Army des-
ignated the Foundation as its primary partner in the 
building of the National Museum of the United 
States Army; and 
(11) the Foundation is actively engaged in exe-
cuting a major capital campaign to support the Na-
tional Museum of the United States Army. 
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—In recognition and celebration 
of the founding of the United States Army in 1775, and 
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary 
of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue the following coins:
(1) $5 GOLD COINS.—Not more than 100,000 
$5 coins, which shall— 
(A) weigh 8.359 grams; 
(B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and 
(C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent 
alloy. 
(2) $1 SILVER COINS.—Not more than 500,000 
$1 coins, 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. 
(3) HALF
DOLLAR
CLAD
COINS.—Not more 
than 750,000 half dollar coins, which shall— 
(A) weigh 11.34 grams; 
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and 
(C) be minted to the specifications for half 
dollar coins, contained in section 5112(b) of 
title 31, United States Code. 
(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this 
Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of 
title 31, United States Code. 
(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 
5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins
minted under this Act shall be considered to be numis-
matic items. 
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The design of the coins 
minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the 
traditions, history, and heritage of the United States 
Army, and its role in American society from the Co-
lonial period to today. 
(2) DESIGNATIONS
AND
INSCRIPTIONS.—On 
each coin minted under this Act, there shall be— 
(A) a designation of the value of the coin; 
(B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2011’’; and 
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, 
‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer-
ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’. 
(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted 
under this Act shall— 
(1) contain motifs that specifically honor the 
American soldier of both today and yesterday, in 
wartime and in peace, such designs to be consistent 
with the traditions and heritage of the United States 
Army, the mission and goals of the National Mu-
seum of the United States Army, and the missions 
and goals of the Foundation;