I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5598 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 
of the 400th anniversary of the landing and settlement of Plymouth 
Colony, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the role of the 
indigenous Wampanoag tribes in the realization of the settlement. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 28, 2016 
Mr. KEATING (for himself, Ms. BASS, Mr. BERA, Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, 
Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. CICILLINE, 
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. 
GALLEGO, Ms. HAHN, Mr. HANNA, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. 
HUFFMAN, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LARSON of 
Connecticut, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. NEAL, Ms. PINGREE, 
Mr. POCAN, Mr. POSEY, Mr. STEWART, Mr. TONKO, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. 
VARGAS, Mr. WELCH, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. WILSON of South 
Carolina, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. ESTY, Ms. 
KAPTUR, and Mr. RYAN of Ohio) 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 and settlement of Plymouth Colony, the signing of 
the Mayflower Compact, 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, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Plymouth 400th Anni-
versary Commemorative Coin Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
(1) the United States is poised for an anniver-
sary of national and international significance, the 
400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the 
founding of Plymouth Colony; 
(2) the Plymouth 400 anniversary will highlight 
the cultural contributions and United States tradi-
tions that began with the interaction of the indige-
nous Wampanoag and English peoples, a story that 
significantly shaped the building of the United 
States; 
(3) the settlers, some known as Pilgrims, and 
their ship the Mayflower, have come to represent na-
tional and international symbols of freedom and law; 
(4) 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 shared harvest 
feast, ‘‘The First Thanksgiving’’, which serves as 
the indelible icon for the Thanksgiving holiday in the 
Untied States; 
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(5) the ‘‘Mayflower Compact’’, signed near 
Provincetown off the coast of Cape Cod before land-
ing in Plymouth, was the colonial cornerstone for 
self-governance in the New World and had a pro-
found influence on later developments related to the 
Constitution of the United States and the Bill of 
Rights; 
(6) there are more than 20,000,000 descend-
ants worldwide that trace their ancestry back to the 
Mayflower passengers arriving in 1620 and on sub-
sequent ships in the 1620s; 
(7) in 2009, a nonprofit organization, Plymouth 
400, Inc., was established to ensure a suitable na-
tional observance of the Plymouth 400th anniversary 
to include the themes of exploration, innovation, im-
migration, 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; 
(8) 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 
400th anniversary observances and commemorations 
in 2020; 
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(9) a commemorative coin series will bring na-
tional and international attention to the lasting leg-
acy of Plymouth Colony, its settlers and the indige-
nous Wampanoag tribes of the area; 
(10) 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 Thanksgiving’’ feast, 
interaction with the indigenous Wampanoag people 
and other significant events of the period; 
(11) today, people from across the 50 States 
and from around the world flock to Plymouth to see 
the landing place, Plymouth Rock, visit the re-cre-
ated Mayflower and Plimoth Plantation, and trace 
their ancestry and learn about the indigenous 
Wampanoag and their integral role in the history of 
the United States; and 
(12) story of the Pilgrims, the indigenous 
Wampanoag people, and the Mayflower are iconic 
symbols for the world representing freedom, family, 
law, and justice. 
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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. 
(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. 
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(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 
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’’, 
‘‘2021’’, or ‘‘2020–2021’’; 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.; 
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(B) Plimoth Plantation, Inc.; 
(C) the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe; 
(D) the Wampanoag Tribe of Gayhead 
(Aquinnah); 
(E) the General Society of Mayflower De-
scendants; 
(F) the Pilgrim Society; 
(G) the Plymouth Antiquarian Society; 
(H) the Pilgrim Monument and Province-
town Museum; 
(I) the Massachusetts Cultural Council; 
and 
(J) 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 2-year 
period beginning January 1, 2020. 
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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). 
(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. 
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(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) 50 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-
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 and 
cultural organizations to support their impor-
tant work in educating the public about the set-
tlement of 1620, their continued existence for 
the benefit of future generations, and other re-
lated purposes. 
(2) 15 percent of the surcharges to Plimoth 
Plantation to support their effort to maintain the 
replica of the 1627 Plantation, the Mayflower II, 
and the replica of the Wampanoag Village. 
(3) 15 percent of the surcharges, to a 
Wampanoag tribal organization to continue pro-
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grams to educate people about the life of the 
Wampanoag people prior to the Plymouth settlement 
and the interactions between the settlers and the 
Wampanoag people. 
(4) 10 percent of the surcharges, to the General 
Society of Mayflower Descendants— 
(A) to support the continued restoration of 
the main facility in Plymouth; 
(B) provide funding for their research li-
brary at that site; and 
(C) for educational purposes. 
(5) 10 percent of the surcharges, to the Pilgrim 
Society to continue their work in displaying the 
story of the settlement and its artifacts, including 
the role of the indigenous Wampanoag tribe in the 
settlement. 
(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. 
(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 
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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. 
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 
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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