IIB 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1209 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 18, 2009 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs 
AN ACT 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 
in recognition and celebration of the establishment of 
the Medal of Honor in 1861, America’s highest award 
for valor in action against an enemy force which can 
be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed 
Services of the United States, to honor the American 
military men and women who have been recipients of 
the Medal of Honor, and to promote awareness of what 
the Medal of Honor represents and how ordinary Ameri-
cans, through courage, sacrifice, selfless service and pa-
triotism, can challenge fate and change the course of 
history. 
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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 ‘‘Medal of Honor Com-
memorative Coin Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) The Medal of Honor, first authorized by the 
Congress in 1861 as the United States Navy’s high-
est personal decoration, the Army Medal of Honor 
was authorized by the Congress in 1862, and the Air 
Force Medal of Honor was authorized by Congress 
in 1956. 
(2) The Medal of Honor is presented by the 
President of the United States in the name of the 
Congress, to a person who, while a member of the 
United States Armed Forces, distinguishes himself 
or herself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity 
at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the 
call of duty while engaged in action against an 
enemy of the United States; while engaged in mili-
tary operations involving conflict with an opposing 
foreign force; or while serving with friendly foreign 
forces engaged in an armed conflict against an op-
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posing armed force in which the United States is not 
a belligerent party. 
(3) The deed performed must have been one of 
personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as 
to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her 
comrades and must have involved risk of life. 
(4) Incontestable proof of the performance of 
the service will be exacted and each recommendation 
for the award of this decoration will be considered 
on the standard of extraordinary merit. 
(5) Fewer than 3,500 Medals of Honor have 
been awarded to members of the United States 
Armed Forces. 
(6) The Congressional Medal of Honor Society 
is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the 85th 
Congress under a legislative act signed into law by 
President Dwight D. Eisenhower on August 14, 
1958, and membership in the Society is restricted to 
recipients of the Medal of Honor. 
(7) Society members are joined together for the 
purpose of forming and maintaining friendship 
among all living recipients of the Medal of Honor 
and remembrance of posthumous and deceased re-
cipients.; they are dedicated to the protection and 
preservation of the dignity, honor and name of the 
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Medal of Honor; service to others; service to Nation; 
and the promotion of allegiance to the Constitution 
and the Government of the United States. 
(8) Members of the Society act to foster patri-
otism and to inspire and encourage the youth of 
America to become worthy citizens. 
(9) The Congressional Medal of Honor Founda-
tion, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded 
by the Society in 1999, is dedicated to— 
(A) perpetuating the Medal of Honor’s leg-
acy through outreach and collaborative efforts; 
(B) raising funds for initiatives that pro-
mote what the Medal of Honor represents, op-
eration of the Congressional Medal of Honor 
Society headquarters, and the public outreach 
activities of the Medal of Honor Society’s mem-
bership; and 
(C) promoting American values and the 
qualities of courage, sacrifice and patriotism 
through increased awareness, education, schol-
arships, behavior and example. 
(10) Through its educational and outreach pro-
grams, the Congressional Medal of Honor Founda-
tion promotes heroism, selflessness and distinguished 
citizenship among American youth and brings public 
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awareness to the actions of ordinary Americans who 
have made and are making a profound difference in 
preserving our freedoms. 
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—In recognition and celebration 
of the founding of the Medal of Honor in 1861, and not-
withstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of 
the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall mint and issue the following coins: 
(1) $5 GOLD COINS.—Not more than 100,000 
$5 gold coins, which shall— 
(A) weigh 8.359 grams; 
(B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and 
(C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent 
alloy. 
(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. 
(b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this 
Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of 
title 31, United States Code. 
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