Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act
PL 112-201 (H.R.2453), enacted 12/04/2012

126 STAT. 1479 
PUBLIC LAW 112–201—DEC. 4, 2012 
Public Law 112–201 
112th Congress 
An Act 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of Mark 
Twain. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mark Twain Commemorative 
Coin Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Samuel Clemens—better known to the world as Mark 
Twain—was a unique American voice whose literary work has 
had a lasting effect on our Nation’s history and culture. 
(2) Mark Twain remains one of the best known Americans 
in the world with over 6,500 editions of his books translated 
into 75 languages. 
(3) Mark Twain’s literary and educational legacy remains 
strong even today, with nearly every book he wrote still in 
print, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures 
of Huckleberry Finn—both of which have never gone out of 
print since they were first published over a century ago. 
(4) In the past 2 decades alone, there have been more 
than 100 books published and over 250 doctoral dissertations 
written on Mark Twain’s life and work. 
(5) Even today, Americans seek to know more about the 
life and work of Mark Twain, as people from around the world 
and across all 50 States annually flock to National Historic 
Landmarks like the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, 
CT, and the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Han-
nibal, MO. 
(6) Mark Twain’s work is remembered today for addressing 
the complex social issues facing America at the turn of the 
century, including the legacy of the Civil War, race relations, 
and the economic inequalities of the ‘‘Gilded Age’’. 
(7) Today Mark Twain’s work lives on through educational 
institutions throughout the United States, such as the Mark 
Twain Project at the Bancroft Library of the University of 
California, Berkeley, California, and the Center for Mark Twain 
Studies at Elmira College, in Elmira, New York. 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
Mark Twain 
Commemorative 
Coin Act. 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
Dec. 4, 2012 
[H.R. 2453] 
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126 STAT. 1480 
PUBLIC LAW 112–201—DEC. 4, 2012 
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter 
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 a diameter of 0.850 inches; and 
(C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy. 
(2) $1 SILVER COINS.—Not more than 350,000 $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 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 section 5134 of title 
31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall 
be considered to be numismatic 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 life and legacy of Mark 
Twain. 
(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 ‘‘2016’’; and 
(C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We 
Trust’’, ‘‘United States of America’’, 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 
Commission of Fine Arts and the Board of the Mark Twain 
House and Museum; 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 the 1-year period beginning 
on January 1, 2016. 
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 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
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126 STAT. 1481 
PUBLIC LAW 112–201—DEC. 4, 2012 
(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 prepaid orders 
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount. 
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins issued under this Act shall 
include a surcharge of— 
(1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin; and 
(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin. 
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f)(1) of title 31, 
United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from 
the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid 
by the Secretary as follows: 
(1) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain 
House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support the 
continued restoration of the Mark Twain house and grounds, 
and ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum 
programming to research, promote and educate on the legacy 
of Mark Twain. 
(2) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the University of 
California, Berkeley, California, for the benefit of the Mark 
Twain Project at the Bancroft Library to support programs 
to study and promote the legacy of Mark Twain. 
(3) One-quarter of the surcharges, to Elmira College, New 
York, to be used for research and education purposes. 
(4) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain Boy-
hood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve 
historical sites related to Mark Twain and help support pro-
grams to study and promote his legacy. 
(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 paragraphs 
(1), (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (b) as may be related to the 
expenditures of amounts paid under such subsection. 
(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 commemora-
tive coin programs 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 Secretary of the Treasury 
may issue guidance to carry out this subsection. 
SEC. 8. NO NET COST. 
The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary 
to ensure that— 
(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not result 
in any net cost to the United States Government; and 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
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126 STAT. 1482 
PUBLIC LAW 112–201—DEC. 4, 2012 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2453: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012): 
Apr. 16, 18, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Nov. 14, 15, House considered and concurred in Senate amendments. 
(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. 
Approved December 4, 2012. 
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