I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3373
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in conjunction with
the minting of coins by the Republic of Iceland in commemoration of
the millennium of the discovery of the New World by Leif Ericson.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 16, 1999
Mr. LEACH 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 conjunction with the minting of coins by the Republic
of Iceland in commemoration of the millennium of the
discovery of the New World by Leif Ericson.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I—LEIF ERICSON MILLEN-
NIUM COMMEMORATIVE COIN
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Leif Ericson Millen-
nium Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 102. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) $1 SILVER COINS.—In conjunction with the si-
multaneous minting and issuance of commemorative coins
by the Republic of Iceland in commemoration of the mil-
lennium of the discovery of the New World by Leif Eric-
son, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this title
referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue not
more than 500,000 1 dollar coins, which shall—
(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
title shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of
title 31, United States Code.
(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted
under this title shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 103. 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. 104. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The design of the coins
minted under this title shall be emblematic of the
millennium of the discovery of the New World by
Leif Ericson.
(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 year ‘‘2000’’; 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 title shall be—
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation
with the Leifur Eirı´ksson Foundation and the Com-
mission of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative
Coin Advisory Committee.
SEC. 105. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this
title shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only one facility of the United
States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality
of the coins minted under this title.
(c) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary
may issue coins minted under this title beginning January
1, 2000.
(d) TERMINATION
OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No
coins may be minted under this title after December 31,
2000.
SEC. 106. SURCHARGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins minted under
this title shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—All surcharges received by the
Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this title
shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the Leifur
Eirı´ksson Foundation for the purpose of funding student
exchanges between students of the United States and stu-
dents of Iceland.
(c) AUDITS.—The Leifur Eirı´ksson Foundation shall
be subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2)
of title 31, United States Code, with regard to the
amounts received by the Foundation under subsection (b).
SEC. 107. GENERAL WAIVER OF PROCUREMENT REGULA-
TIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection
(b), no provision of law governing procurement or public
contracts shall be applicable to the procurement of goods
and services necessary for carrying out the provisions of
this title.
(b) EQUAL
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY.—Sub-
section (a) shall not relieve any person entering into a con-
tract under the authority of this title from complying with
any law relating to equal employment opportunity.
TITLE II—CAPITOL VISITOR
CENTER COMMEMORATIVE COIN
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘United States Capitol
Visitor Center Commemorative Coin Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 202. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) Congress moved to Washington, District of
Columbia, and first convened in the Capitol building
in the year 1800;
(2) the Capitol building is now the greatest visi-
ble symbol of representative democracy in the world;
(3) the Capitol building has approximately
5,000,000 visitors annually and suffers from a lack
of facilities necessary to properly serve them;
(4) the Capitol building and persons within the
Capitol have been provided with excellent security
through the dedication and sacrifice of the United
States Capitol Police;
(5) Congress has appropriated $100,000,000,
to be supplemented with private funds, to construct
a Capitol Visitor Center to provide continued high
security for the Capitol and enhance the educational
experience of visitors to the Capitol;
(6) Congress would like to offer the opportunity
for all persons to voluntarily participate in raising
funds for the Capitol Visitor Center; and
(7) it is appropriate to authorize coins com-
memorating the first convening of the Congress in
the Capitol building with proceeds from the sale of
the coins, less expenses, being deposited for the
United States Capitol Preservation Commission with
the specific purpose of aiding in the construction,
maintenance, and preservation of a Capitol Visitor
Center.
SEC. 203. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treas-
ury (hereafter in this title referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’)
shall mint and issue the following coins under this title:
(1) 
BIMETALLIC
COINS.—Not 
more 
than
200,000 $10 bimetallic coins of gold and platinum,
in accordance with such specifications as the Sec-
retary determines to be appropriate.
(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.—Not more than 750,000
half dollar clad coins, each of which—
(A) shall 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) $5 GOLD COINS.—If the Secretary determines
that the minting and issuance of bimetallic coins under
subsection (a)(1) is not feasible, the Secretary may mint
and issue instead not more than 100,000 $5 coins, which
shall—
(1) weigh 8.359 grams;
(2) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(3) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent
alloy.
(c) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this
title shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of
title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 204. SOURCES OF BULLION.
(a) PLATINUM AND GOLD.—The Secretary shall ob-
tain platinum and gold for minting coins under this title
from available sources.
(b) SILVER.—The Secretary may obtain silver for
minting coins under this title from stockpiles established
under the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling
Act, and from other available sources.
SEC. 205. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The design of the coins
minted under this title shall be emblematic of the
first meeting of the United States Congress in the
United States Capitol Building.
(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 year ‘‘2001’’; 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 title shall be—
(1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation
with the United States Capitol Preservation Com-
(1) $50 per coin for the $10 coin or $35 per
coin for the $5 coin;
(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and
(3) $3 per coin for the half dollar coin.
SEC. 208. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.
All surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale
of coins minted under this title shall be deposited in the
Capitol Preservation Fund in accordance with section
5134(f) of title 31, United States Code, and shall be made
available to the Commission for the purpose of aiding in
the construction, maintenance, and preservation of a Cap-
itol Visitor Center.
TITLE III—LEWIS AND CLARK
EXPEDITION 
COMMEMORA-
TIVE COIN
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Lewis and Clark Expe-
dition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 302. 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. 303. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) DENOMINATION.—In commemoration of the bi-
centennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Sec-
retary of the Treasury (hereafter in this title referred to
as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and issue not more than
500,000 $1 coins, each of which shall—
(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
title shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of
title 31, United States Code.
(c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted
under this title shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 304. 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. 305. 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 year ‘‘2004’’ and
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 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
to the Chiefs of the various Indian tribes they en-
countered and shall consider recognizing Native
American culture.
(b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted
under this title shall be selected by the Secretary after
consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and shall
be reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory
Committee.
SEC. 306. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this
title shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) MINT FACILITY.—Only one facility of the United
States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality
of the coins minted under this title.
(c) PERIOD
FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may
issue coins minted under this title only during the period
beginning on January 1, 2004, and ending on December
31, 2004.
SEC. 307. SALE OF COINS.
(a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this title
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 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 $10 per coin.
SEC. 308. 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.—Two-thirds to the National Lewis
and Clark Bicentennial Council, for activities associ-
ated with commemorating the bicentennial of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition.
(2) NATIONAL
PARK
SERVICE.—One-third to
the National 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. 309. 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.
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