I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 678
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the sesquicentennial of the birth of Thomas Alva Edison, to redesign
the half dollar circulating coin for 1997 to commemorate Thomas Edison,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 11, 1997
Mr. GILLMOR (for himself, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. GOSS, Mr.
PALLONE, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. NEY, Mr.
PORTMAN, Mr. OXLEY, Mr. REGULA, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. HALL of Ohio,
Mr. TRAFICANT, Mr. KASICH, Mr. HOBSON, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. LEVIN,
Ms. RIVERS, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. FROST, Ms. NOR-
TON, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. SABO, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. HORN, Mr. BERMAN,
Mr. SAXTON, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. BARCIA, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. STEARNS,
Mr. HASTERT, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. BORSKI, Mrs.
THURMAN, Mr. SHAYS, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mrs. CLAYTON,
Mr. KING, Mr. SMITH of Michigan, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, and
Ms. STABENOW) 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 sesquicentennial of the birth
of Thomas Alva Edison, to redesign the half dollar cir-
culating coin for 1997 to commemorate Thomas Edison,
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 ‘‘Thomas Alva Edison
Sesquicentennial Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(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’’; and
(4) 1997 will mark the sesquicentennial of the
birth of Thomas A. Edison.
TITLE I—COMMEMORATIVE
COINS
SEC. 101. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—In commemoration of the ses-
quicentennial of the birth of Thomas A. Edison, the Sec-
retary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to
as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue—
(1) not more than 350,000 $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 350,000 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. 102. SOURCES OF BULLION.
The Secretary shall obtain silver for minting coins
under this title only from stockpiles established under the
Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act.
SEC. 103. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—