I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4539 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
of the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower and settlement 
of Plymouth Colony, the signing of the Mayflower Compact near 
Provincetown, and the role of the indigenous Wampanoag Tribes in 
the realization of the settlement. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 4, 2017 
Mr. KEATING (for himself and Mr. FOSTER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 
in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the land-
ing of the Mayflower and settlement of Plymouth Colony, 
the 
signing 
of 
the 
Mayflower 
Compact 
near 
Provincetown, and the role of the indigenous Wampanoag 
Tribes in the realization of the settlement. 
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 ‘‘Plymouth 400th Anni-
versary Commemorative Coin Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
(1) the arrival of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts 
in 1620 is an important landmark event in the his-
tory of the United States; 
(2) the United States is poised for an anniver-
sary of national and international significance, in 
2020 with the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s 
voyage, signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the 
founding of Plymouth Colony; 
(3) the Plymouth 400th anniversary will high-
light the cultural contributions and United States 
traditions that began with the interaction of the in-
digenous Wampanoag and English peoples, a story 
that significantly shaped the building of the United 
States; 
(4) the settlers, now known as the Pilgrims, 
and their ship the Mayflower, have come to rep-
resent national and international symbols of freedom 
and law; 
(5) the indigenous Wampanoag people, and 
their interaction with the Pilgrims, created an im-
portant legacy through their assistance and associa-
tion, including participation in the first shared har-
vest, which serves as an indelible iconic moment in 
United States history; 
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(6) the ‘‘Mayflower Compact’’, signed near 
Provincetown before the Pilgrims explored Province-
town and Cape Cod and subsequently landed in 
Plymouth, was the colonial cornerstone for self-gov-
ernance in the New World and had a profound influ-
ence on later developments related to the Constitu-
tion of the United States and the Bill of Rights; 
(7) the story of the Wampanoag people, the Pil-
grims, and the Mayflower are iconic symbols for the 
world representing freedom, family, law, and justice; 
(8) today, people from across the 50 States and 
around the world visit Massachusetts to see the 
sights of the first landing in Provincetown, early ex-
ploration of the New World along Cape Cod, and the 
ultimate landing and settlement in Plymouth (com-
memorated by Plymouth Rock), as well as to visit 
the re-created Mayflower and Plimoth Plantation, 
trace their ancestry, and learn about the indigenous 
Wampanoag and their integral role in the history of 
the United States; 
(9) there are more than 20,000,000 descend-
ants worldwide who trace their ancestry back to the 
Mayflower passengers arriving in 1620 and on sub-
sequent ships in the 1620s; 
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(10) there are two federally recognized Indian 
Tribes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts—the 
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and the 
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe—that have tribal mem-
bers or citizens who descend from the historical 
Wampanoag Indian people whose sachem Massasoit 
signed the Wampanoag Treaty of 1621; 
(11) in 1897, the General Society of Mayflower 
Descendants was formed with the purpose of cre-
ating permanent records of those with lineage to the 
Mayflower Pilgrims, and to educate the public about 
the impact the Pilgrims had on Western civilization; 
(12) in 2009, a nonprofit organization, Plym-
outh 400, Inc., was established to ensure a suitable 
national observance of the Plymouth 400th anniver-
sary to include the themes of exploration, innova-
tion, immigration, self-governance, religious freedom, 
and thanksgiving, which are legacies that were 
sparked by these historic events and that continue 
today as cornerstones of the United States; 
(13) Plymouth 400, Inc. will lead, support, and 
facilitate legislative and marketing efforts for a com-
memorative coin series, United States postage 
stamps, and related activities for the Plymouth 
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400th anniversary observances and commemorations 
in 2020; 
(14) a commemorative coin series will bring na-
tional and international attention to the lasting leg-
acy of Plymouth Colony, the indigenous Wampanoag 
Tribes, and the Pilgrim settlers; and 
(15) the proceeds from a surcharge on the sale 
of such commemorative coins will assist the financ-
ing of a suitable national observance in 2020 and 
2021 of the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrim land-
ing and historic events, including the signing of the 
Mayflower Compact, the first shared harvest, inter-
action with the indigenous Wampanoag people, and 
other significant events of the period. 
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treas-
ury (hereinafter 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 diameter of 0.85 inches; and 
(C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent 
alloy. 
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(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 not less than 90 percent silver. 
(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 described 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 
landing and settlement of Plymouth Colony, the 
signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the role of 
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the indigenous Wampanoag Tribes in the realization 
of the settlement. 
(2) DESIGNATION
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 ‘‘2020’’; 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 be— 
(1) selected by the Secretary after consulting 
with— 
(A) Plymouth 400, Inc.; 
(B) the General Society of Mayflower De-
scendants; 
(C) the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe; 
(D) the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head 
(Aquinnah); 
(E) the Pilgrim Society; 
(F) Plimoth Plantation, Inc.; 
(G) the Pilgrim Monument and Province-
town Museum; 
(H) Provincetown 400; 
(I) the Plymouth Antiquarian Society; 
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(J) the Massachusetts Cultural Council; 
and 
(K) the Massachusetts Historical Society; 
and 
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory 
Committee. 
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this 
Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 
(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only 1 facility of the United 
States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality 
of the coins minted under this Act. 
(c) PERIOD
FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may 
issue coins minted under this Act only during a 1-year 
period beginning January 1, 2020. 
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 
(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act 
shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum 
of— 
(1) the face value of the coins; 
(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) 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). 
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(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk 
sales of the coins issued under this Act at a reasonable 
discount. 
(c) PREPAID ORDERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 
prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act 
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. 
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this 
Act shall include a surcharge as follows: 
(1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin. 
(2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin. 
(3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half-dol-
lar coin. 
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of 
title 31, United States Code, all surcharges received by 
the Secretary from the sale of coins under this Act shall 
be promptly paid by the Secretary as follows: 
(1) 30 percent of the surcharges, to the Plym-
outh 400, Inc.— 
(A) to support the work of the organiza-
tion to develop, implement, and provide over-
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sight for the commemorations surrounding the 
events of 2020 through 2021; and 
(B) at the discretion of Plymouth 400 to 
distribute to local historical preservation, tribal, 
and cultural organizations to support their im-
portant work in educating the public about the 
settlement of 1620, their continued existence 
for the benefit of future generations, and other 
related purposes; 
(2) 30 percent of the surcharges, to the General 
Society of Mayflower Descendants— 
(A) to support the continued restoration of 
the GSMD facilities in Plymouth; 
(B) to provide funding for the GSMD re-
search library in Plymouth; 
(C) to support academic study to learn and 
disseminate new information about the Pilgrims 
and early colonial New England; 
(D) to provide funding for the restoration 
and operation of the National Pilgrim Memorial 
Meetinghouse; and 
(E) for educational purposes; 
(3) 20 percent of the surcharges, to the Mash-
pee Wampanoag Tribe, to continue programs to edu-
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(E) support for educational programs and 
educational partnerships, including a museum 
internship program; and 
(6) 5 percent of the surcharges to Plimoth 
Plantation Inc., to support the Museum’s edu-
cational programs and exhibits that teach the gen-
eral public about the 17th century history of Amer-
ica including the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, the 
Mayflower Compact, and the Native people of this 
region; 
(7) 5 percent of the surcharges, to Pilgrims’ 
First Landing Park, Inc. d/b/a Provincetown 400 to 
support the organization’s work in furtherance of 
events and programs that educate people about the 
lives of the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims be-
fore and after the arrival of the Mayflower to the 
New World and that explore the themes of these his-
toric events that are still relevant today, and to 
maintain historical markers and sites related to the 
events of 1620 and 1621. 
(c) AUDITS.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall have the right to examine such books, records, 
documents, and other data of each of the organizations 
referred to in subsection (b) as may be related to the ex-
penditures of amounts paid under such subsection. 
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(d) LIMITATIONS.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 
no surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance 
under this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as 
of such time of issuance, the issuance of such coin would 
result in the number of commemorative coin programs 
issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 commemo-
rative coin program issuance limitation under section 
5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code (as in effect 
on the date of the enactment of this Act). The Secretary 
of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out this sub-
section. 
(e) EXEMPTION FROM MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
Section 5134(f)(1)(A)(ii) of title 31, United States Code, 
shall not apply to the organizations referred to under 
paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (b) with respect to 
surcharges paid under this Act. 
SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES. 
The Secretary shall take such actions as may be nec-
essary to ensure that— 
(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act 
will not result in any net cost to the United States 
Government; and 
(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, 
are disbursed to any recipient designated in section 
7 until the total cost of designing and issuing all of 
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the coins authorized by this Act (including labor, 
materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, 
marketing, and shipping) is recovered by the United 
States Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m) 
and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code. 
Æ 
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