I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 864
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration
of the centennial of the birth of Marian Anderson, to redesign the
half dollar circulating coin for 1997 to commemorate Marian Anderson,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 27, 1997
Mr. BROWN of California (for himself, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr.
MALONEY of Connecticut, Ms. NORTON, Mr. FROST, Ms. JACKSON-LEE
of Texas, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. FILNER, Mr. CONYERS, Mr.
BERMAN, Mr. FOGLIETTA, Mr. DELLUMS, and Ms. SLAUGHTER) intro-
duced 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 centennial of the birth of Mar-
ian Anderson, to redesign the half dollar circulating coin
for 1997 to commemorate Marian Anderson, 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 ‘‘Marian Anderson Cen-
tennial Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) Marian Anderson, one of the world’s great-
est singers, a champion for civil rights, and a leader
in the advancement of global peace, was born on
February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
(2) Marian Anderson, a master of repertoire ac-
tress operatic, recital, and American traditional
genres, played a vital role in the acceptance of Afri-
can-American musicians in the classical music world;
(3) in 1963, Marian Anderson was given a
Presidential Medal of Freedom;
(4) in 1974, Congress passed a resolution to
have a special gold medal minted in her name;
(5) in 1977, Marian Anderson, who was an al-
ternate delegate to the United Nations, received the
U.N. Peace Prize;
(6) in 1986, Marian Anderson was awarded the
National Arts Medal; and
(7) 1997 will mark the centennial of the birth
of Marian Anderson.
TITLE I—COMMEMORATIVE
COINS
SEC. 101. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—In commemoration of the cen-
tennial of the birth of Marian Anderson, the Secretary of
the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) 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.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The design of the coins
minted under this title shall be emblematic of the
many accomplishments of Marian Anderson through-
out her prolific life.
(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 years ‘‘1897–
1997’’; 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 Marian Anderson.
(b) DESIGN COMPETITION.—Before the end of the 3-
month period beginning on the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall conduct an open design competi-
tion for the design of the obverse and the reverse of the
coins minted under this title.
(c) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted
under this title 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. 104. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this
title 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 title.
(c) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary
may issue coins minted under this title beginning on and
after the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) TERMINATION
OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No
coins may be minted under this title after July 31, 1998.
SEC. 105. 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—
(1) $14 per coin for the $1 coin; and
(2) $7 per coin for the half dollar coin.
SEC. 
106. 
GENERAL 
WAIVER 
OF 
PROCUREMENT
REGULATIONS.
(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 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.
SEC. 107. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title
31, United States Code, the first $2,000,000 of the sur-
charges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins
issued under this title shall be promptly paid by the Sec-
retary as follows:
(1) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.—50 percent to
the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institu-
tion, for exhibits on African-American art, history,
and culture.
(2) CORPORATION
FOR
PUBLIC
BROADCAST-
ING.—50 percent to the Public Broadcasting Fund
established under section 396(k) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 396(k)), for edu-
cational programs on African-American art, history,
and culture and on the life of Marian Anderson.
(b) EXCESS PAYABLE TO THE NATIONAL NUMIS-
MATIC COLLECTION.—After payment of the amounts re-
quired under subsection (a), the Secretary shall pay the
remaining surcharges to the National Museum of Amer-
ican History in Washington, D.C., for the support of the
National Numismatic Collection at the museum.
(c) 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.