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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
HR 678 RDS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Thomas Alva Edison
Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Thomas Alva Edison, one of America’s
greatest inventors, was born on February 11, 1847,
in Milan, Ohio.
(2) The inexhaustible energy and genius of
Thomas A. Edison produced more than 1,300 inven-
tions in his lifetime, including the incandescent light
bulb and the phonograph.
(3) In 1928, Thomas A. Edison received the
Congressional gold medal ‘‘for development and ap-
plication of inventions that have revolutionized civili-
zation in the last century’’.
(4) 2004 will mark the 125th anniversary of
the invention of the light bulb by Thomas A. Edison
in 1879, the 1st practical incandescent electric lamp.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) DENOMINATION.—In commemoration of the
125th anniversary of the invention of the light bulb by
Thomas A. Edison, the Secretary of the Treasury (here-
after in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint
and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins, each of which
shall—
HR 678 RDS
(1) weigh 26.73 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent
copper.
(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 section
5134 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted
under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 4. SOURCES OF BULLION.
The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins
under this Act 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 Act shall be emblematic of the
light bulb and the many inventions made by Thomas
A. Edison throughout his prolific life.
(2) DESIGNATION
AND
INSCRIPTIONS.—On
each coin minted under this Act there shall be—
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
and
HR 678 RDS
(B) 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 Act shall bear the likeness of
Thomas A. Edison.
(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted
under this Act shall be—
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation
with the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative
Coin Advisory Committee.
SEC. 6. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this
Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary
may issue coins minted under this Act beginning on Janu-
ary 1, 2004.
(c) TERMINATION
OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No
coins may be minted under this Act after December 31,
2004.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins minted under
this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
HR 678 RDS
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of
title 31, United States Code, the first $5,000,000 of the
surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins
issued under this Act shall be paid by the Secretary as
follows:
(1) MUSEUM OF ARTS AND HISTORY.—Up to 1⁄8
to the Museum of Arts and History, in the city of
Port Huron, Michigan, for the endowment and con-
struction of a special museum on the life of Thomas
A. Edison in Port Huron.
(2) EDISON BIRTHPLACE ASSOCIATION.—Up to
1⁄8 to the Edison Birthplace Association, Incor-
porated, in Milan, Ohio, to assist in the efforts of
the association to raise an endowment as a perma-
nent source of support for the repair and mainte-
nance of the Thomas A. Edison birthplace, a na-
tional historic landmark.
(3) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.—Up to 1⁄8 to the
National Park Service, for use in protecting, restor-
ing, and cataloguing historic documents and objects
at the ‘‘invention factory’’ of Thomas A. Edison in
West Orange, New Jersey.
(4) EDISON PLAZA MUSEUM.—Up to 1⁄8 to the
Edison Plaza Museum in Beaumont, Texas, for ex-