110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2894 
AN ACT 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 
in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of 
the ‘‘Star Spangled Banner’’ and the War of 1812, 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 ‘‘Star-Spangled Banner 
and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) During the War of 1812, on September 13, 
1814, Francis Scott Key visited the British fleet in 
Chesapeake Bay to secure the release of Dr. William 
Beanes, who had been captured after the burning of 
Washington, DC. 
(2) The release was completed, but Key was 
held by the British overnight during the shelling of 
Fort McHenry, one of the forts defending Baltimore. 
(3) In the morning, Key peered through clear-
ing smoke to see an enormous American flag flying 
proudly after a 25-hour British bombardment of 
Fort McHenry. 
(4) He was so delighted to see the flag still fly-
ing over the fort that he began a poem to commemo-
rate the occasion, with a note that it should be sung 
to the popular British melody ‘‘To Anacreon in 
Heaven’’. 
(5) In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson or-
dered that it be played at military and naval occa-
sions.
(6) In 1931, the ‘‘Star-Spangled Banner’’ be-
came our National Anthem. 
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 
(a) $1 SILVER COINS.—The Secretary of the Treas-
ury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) 
shall mint and issue not more than 350,000 $1 coins in 
commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of the 
Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812, 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 
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 
War of 1812 and particularly the Battle for Fort
McHenry that formed the basis for the ‘‘Star-Span-
gled Banner’’. 
(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 ‘‘2012’’; 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 consultation 
with the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bi-
centennial Commission and the Commission of Fine 
Arts; 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 one 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 under this Act only during the calendar year 
beginning on January 1, 2012. 
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 with re-
spect 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 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 of $10 per 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 issued under this Act 
shall be paid to the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial 
Commission for the purpose of supporting bicentennial ac-
tivities in collaboration with and aiding the Star-Spangled 
Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission as it 
provides coordination, advice, and assistance to Federal 
agencies, States, localities, and other organizations for 
such bicentennial activities, educational outreach activities 
(including supporting scholarly research and the develop-
ment of exhibits), and preservation and improvement ac-
tivities relating to the sites and structures relating to the 
War of 1812. 
(c) AUDITS.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall have the right to examine such books, records, 
documents, and other data of the Maryland War of 1812 
Bicentennial Commission as may be related to the expend-
itures of amounts paid under subsection (b). 
(d) LIMITATION.—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 the time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin
would result in the number of commemorative coin pro-
grams issued during such year to exceed the annual 2 
commemorative 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 Sec-
retary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out 
this subsection. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 15, 2008. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2894 
AN ACT 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 
coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of 
the writing of the ‘‘Star Spangled Banner’’ and 
the War of 1812, and for other purposes.