An Act to provide for the coinage of the United States
PL 89-81 (S.2080), enacted 07/23/1965

254 
PUBLIC LAW 89-81-JULY 23, 1965 
[79 STAT. 
RULES AND REGULATIONS 
^ SEC. 402. The Council is authorized to make such rules and regula-
tions as it may deem necessary or appropriate for carrying out those 
provisions of this Act which are administered by it. 
DELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS 
SEC. 403. The Council is authorized to delegate to any member or 
employee of the Council its administrative functions under section 
105 and the detailed administration of the grant program under title 
III. 
UTILIZATION OF PERSONNEL 
SEC. 404. The Council may, with the consent of the head of any other 
department or agency of the United States, utilize such officers and 
employees of such agency on a reimbursable basis as are necessary to 
carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Approved July 22, 1965. 
July 23, 1965 
[S. 2080] 
Public Law 89-81 
AN ACT 
To provide for the coinage of the United States. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
Coinage Act of 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may be 
cited as the "Coinage Act of 1965". 
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL COINAGE 
1965 
Specifications, 
SEC. 101. (a) The Secretary may coin and issue pursuant to this 
section half dollars or 50-cent pieces, quarter dollars or 25-cent pieces, 
and dimes or 10-cent pieces in such quantities as he may determine 
to be necessary to meet the needs of the public. Any coin minted 
under authority of this section shall be a clad coin the weight of whose 
cladding is not less than 30 per centum of the weight of the entire coin, 
and which meets the following additional specifications: 
(1) The half dollar shall have— 
(A) a diameter of 1.205 inches; 
(B) a cladding of an alloy of 800 parts of silver and 
200 parts of copper; and 
(C) a core of an alloy of silver and copper such that the 
whole coin weighs 11.5 grams and contains 4,6 grams of silver 
and 6,9 grams of copper. 
(2) The quarter dollar shall have— 
(A) a diameter of 0.955 inch; 
(B) a cladding of an alloy of 75 per centum copper and 
25 per centum nickel; and 
(C) a core of copper such that the weight of the whole 
coin is 5.67 grams. 
(3) The dime shall have— 
(A) a diameter of 0.705 inch; 
(B) a cladding of an alloy of 75 per centum copper and 
25 per centum nickel; and 
(C) a core of copper such that the weight of the whole 
coin is 2.268 grams. 
(b) Half dollars, quarter dollars, and dimes may be minted from 
900 fine coin silver only until such date as the Secretary of the Treasury 
determines that adequate supplies of the coins authorized by this Act 
79 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 89-81-JULY 23, 1965 
255 
are available, and in no event later than five years after the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
(c) No standard silver dollars may be minted during the five-year 
period which begins on the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 102. All coins and currencies of the United States (including 
Federal Reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal Reserve banks 
and national banking associations), regardless of when coined or 
issued, shall be legal tender for all debts, public and private, public 
charges, taxes, duties, and dues. 
SEC. 103. (a) In order to acquire equipment, manufacturing facili-
ties, patents, patent rights, technical knowledge and assistance, metallic 
strip, and other materials necessary to produce rapidly an adequate 
supply of the coins authorized by section 101 of this Act, the Secretary 
may enter into contracts upon such terms and conditions as he may 
deem appropriate and in the public interest. 
(b) During such period as he may deem necessarj^, but in no event 
later than five years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secre-
tary may exercise the authority conferred by subsection (a^ of this sec-
tion without regard to any other provisions of law governing procure-
ment or public contracts. 
SEC. 104. The Secretary shall purchase at a price of $1.25 per fine 
troy ounce any silver mined after the date of enactment of this Act 
from natural deposits in the United States or any place subject to the 
jurisdiction thereof and tendered to a United States mint or assay 
office within one year after the month in which the ore from which it 
is derived was mined. 
SEC. 105. (a) Whenever in the judgment of the Secretary such 
action is necessary to protect the coinage of the United States, he is 
authorized under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe to 
prohibit, curtail, or regulate the exportation, melting, or treating 
of any coin of the United States. 
(b) Whoever knowingly violates any order, rule, regulation, or 
license issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be fined 
not more than $10,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or 
both. 
SEC. 106. (a) There shall be forfeited to the United States any coins 
exported, melted, or treated in violation of any order, rule, regulation, 
or license issued under section 105(a), and any metal resulting from 
such melting or treating. 
(b) The powers of the Secretary and his delegates, and the judicial 
and other remedies available to the United States, for the enforcement 
of forfeitures of property subject to forfeiture pursuant to subsection 
(a) of this section shall be the same as those provided in part I I of 
subchapter C of chapter 75 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 
for the enforcement of forfeitures of property subject to forfeiture 
under any provision of such Code. 
SEC. 107. The Secretary may issue such rules and regulations as 
he may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 108. For the purposes of this title— 
(1) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Treasury. 
(2) The term "clad coin" means a coin composed of three layers of 
metal, the two outer layers being of identical composition and metal-
lurgically bonded to an inner layer. 
(3) The term "cladding" means the outer layers of a clad coin. 
(4) The term "core" means the inner layer of a clad coin. 
(5) A specification given otherwise than as a limit shall be main-
tained within such reasonable manufacturing tolerances as the Secre-
tary may specify. 
(6) Specifications given for an alloy are by weight. 
Silver doUars, 
restriction. 
Legal tender. 
Contract author-
ity. 
Silver, purchase. 
Exportation,, etc., 
of coins. 
Penalty. 
Forfeiture of 
coins. 
68A Stat. 869. 
26 u s e 7321-
7329. 
Definitions, 
256 
PUBLIC LAW 89-81-JULY 23, 1965 
[79 STAT. 
San Francisco 
assay office, 
minting of coins. 
77 Stat. 129. 
Repeal. 
Inscriptions on 
coins. 
Repeal, 
78 Stat. 908. 
Coinage metal 
fund. 
TITLE II—AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING LAW 
SEC. 201. The first sentence of section 3558 of the Revised Statutes 
(31 U.S.C. 283) is amended to read: "The business of the United 
States assay office in San Francisco shall be in all respects similar to 
that of the assay office of New York except that until the Secretary 
of the Treasury determines that the mints of the United States are 
adequate for the production of ample supplies of coins, its facilities 
may be used for the production of coins." 
SEC. 202. Section 4 of the Act of August 20, 1063 (Public Law 
88-102; 31 U.S.C. 294), is amended by changing "$30,000,000" to 
read "$45,000,000". 
SEC. 203. (a) Section 3 of the Act of December 18, 1942 (56 Stat. 
1065; 31 U.S.C. 317c), is amended by striking "minor" each place it 
appears. 
(b) Section 9 of the Act of March 14, 1900 (31 Stat. 48; 31 U.S.C. 
320), is repealed. 
SEC. 204. (a) Section 3517 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 324) 
is amended to read: 
"SEC. 3517. Upon one side of all coins of the United States there 
shall be an impression emblematic of liberty, with an inscription of 
the word 'Libertv', and upon the reverse side shall be the figure or 
representation of an eagle, with the inscriptions 'United States of 
America' and 'E Pluribus Unum' and a designation of the value of 
the coin; but on the dime, 5-, and 1-cent piece, the figure of the eagle 
shall be omitted. 
The motto 'In God we trust' shall be inscribed on 
all coins. Any coins minted after the enactment of the Coinage Act 
of 1965 from 900 fine coin silver shall be inscribed with the year 1964. 
All other coins shall be inscribed with the year of the coinage or 
issuance unless the Secretary of the Treasury, in order to prevent or 
alleviate a shortage of coins of any denomination, directs that coins 
of that denomination continue to be inscribed with the last preced-
ing year inscribed on coins of that denomination, except that coins 
produced under authority of sections 101(a)(1), 101(a)(2), and 
101(a) (3) of the Coinage Act of 1965 shall not be dated earlier than 
1965. No mint mark may be inscribed on any coins during the five-year 
period beginning on the date of enactment of the Coinage Act of 1965, 
except that coins struck at the Denver mint as authorized by law 
prior to such date may continue to be inscribed with that mint mark." 
(b) The Act of September 3, 1964 (Public Law 88-580; 31 U.S.C. 
324 note), is repealed. 
SEC. 205. The first sentence of section 3526 of the Revised Statutes 
(31 U.S.C. 335) is amended to read: "In order to procure bullion for 
coinage or to carry out the purposes of section 104 of the Coinage Act 
of 1965, the Secretary of the Treasury may purchase silver bullion 
with the bullion fund." 
SEC. 206. (a) Section 3528 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 340) 
is amended to read: 
"SEC. 3528. The Secretary of the Treasury may use the coinage 
metal fund for the purchase of metal for coinage. The gain arising 
from the coinage of metals purchased out of such fund into coin of a 
nominal value exceeding the cost of such metals shall be credited to the 
coinage profit fund. 
The coinage profit fund shall be charged with 
the wastage incurred in such coinage, with the cost lof distributing such 
coins, and with such sums as shall from time to time be transferred 
therefrom to the general fund of the Treasury." 
(b) The effect of the amendment made by subsection (a) of this 
section shall be to redesignate the minor coinage metal fund established 
under section 3528 of the Revised Statutes as the coinage metal fund, 
and not to authorize the creation of a new fund. 
79 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 89-81-JULY 23, 1965 
257 
SEC. 207. The second sentence of section 3542 of the Eevised Stat- ^J^^*^^^ ^"°^-
utes (31 U.S.C. 355) is amended by changing ", in the case of the ^"''^* 
superintendent of melting and refining department, one-thousandth of 
the whole amount of gold, and one and one-half thousandths of the 
whole amount of silver delivered to him since the last annual settle-
ment, and in the case of the superintendent of coining department, one-
thousandth of the whole amount of silver, and one-half thousandth 
of the whole amount of gold that has been delivered to him by the 
superintendent" to read "such limitations as the Secretary shall 
SEC. 208. Section 3550 of the Eevised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 366) is 
^^P'^^-
repealed. 
SEC. 209. The second sentence of section 2 of the Act of June 4, Silver excess. 
1963 (Public Law 88-36; 31 U.S.C. 405a-l), is amended to read: "The 
^^ ^'^'- s^-
Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to use for coinage, or to sell 
on such terms and conditions as he may deem appropriate, at a price 
not less than the monetary value of $1.292929292 per fine troy ounce, 
any silver of the United States in excess of that required to be held as 
reserves against outstanding silver certificates." 
SEC. 210. The last sentence of section 43(b) (1) of the Act of May 
K«P««I-
12,1933 (Public Law 10,73d Congress; 31 U.S.C. 462), is repealed. 
^^ ^'^'' ^^^^ 
SEC. 211. (a) Section 485 of title 18 of the United States Code is 
^2 stat. 708. 
amended to read: 
"§485. Coins or bars 
"Whoever falsely makes, forges, or counterfeits any coin or bar in 
resemblance or similitude of any coin of a denomination higher than 5 
cents or any gold or silver bar coined or stamped at any mint or assay 
office of the United States, or in resemblance or similitude of any for-
eign gold or silver coin current in the United States or in aclraal use 
and circulation as money within the United States; or 
"Whoever passes, utters, publishes, sells, possesses, or brings into 
the United States any false, forged, or counterfeit coin or bar, knowing 
the same to be false, forged, or counterfeit, with intent to defraud any 
body politic or corporate, or any person, or attempts the commission of 
any offense described in this paragraph— 
"Shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than 
Penalty. 
fifteen years, or both." 
(b) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 25 of such title 
is amended by striking 
"485. Gold or silver coins or bars." 
and inserting 
"485. Coins or bars." 
SEC. 212. (a) Chapter 17 of title 18 of the United States Code 
is "sc 331.336. 
is amended by adding at the end: 
"§ 337. Coins as security for loans 
"Whoever lends or borrows money or credit upon the security of 
such coins of the United States as the Secretary of the Treasury 
may from time to time designate by proclamation published in the 
Federal Register, during any period designated in such a procla- p.jfH"^^i,'^R"°"«i"^ 
mation, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more 
than one year, or both." 
(b) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end: 
"337. Coins as security for loans." 
(c) The amendments made by this section shall apply only with 
respect to loans made, renewed, or increased on or after the 31st day 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Federal Register. 
258 
PUBLIC LAW 89-82-JULY 24, 1965 
[79 
STAT. 
Membership. 
Restriction. 
Vacancies. 
Duties. 
Appropriation, 
TITLE III—JOINT COMMISSION ON T H E COINAGE 
SEC. 301. The President is hereby authorized to establish a Joint 
Commission on the Coinage to be composed of the Secretary of the 
Treasury as Chairman; the Secretary of Commerce; the Director of 
the Bureau of the Budget; the Director of the Mint; the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Senate Banking and Currency Com-
mittee, and four Members of the Senate, not members of such commit-
tee, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; the chairman and 
ranking mmority member of the House Banking and Currency Com-
mittee, and four Members of the House of Representatives, not mem-
bers of such committee, to be appointed hj the Speaker; and eight 
public members to be appointed by the President, none of whom shall 
be associated or identified with or representative of any industry, 
group, business, or association directly interested as such m the com-
position, characteristics, or production of the coinage of the United 
States. 
SEC. 302. No public official or Member of Congress serving as a 
member of the Joint Commission shall continue to serve as such after 
he has ceased to hold the office by virtue of which he became a member 
of the Joint Commission. Any vacancy on the Joint Commission shall 
be filled by the choosing of a successor member in the same manner as 
his predecessor. 
SEC. 303. The Joint Commission shall study the progress made in 
the implementation of the coinage program established by this Act, 
and shall review from time to time such matters as the needs of the 
economy for coins, the standards for the coinage, technological devel-
opments in metallurgy and coin-selector devices, the availability of 
various metals, renewed minting of the silver dollar, the time when and 
circumstances under which the United States should cease to maintain 
the price of silver, and other considerations relevant to the maintenance 
of an adequate and stable coinage system. It shall, from time to time, 
give its advice and recommendations with respect to these matters to 
the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Congress. 
SEC. 304. There are authorized to be appropriated to remain avail-
able until expended, such amounts as may be necessary to carry out 
the purposes of this title. 
Approved July 23, 1965. 
July 24, 1965 
[H. R. 9497] 
Public Law 89-82 
<;, 
AN ACT 
To extend the time for conducting the referendum with respect to the national 
marketing quota for wheat for the marketing year beginning July 1, 1966. 
76 Stat. 621. 
7 use 1336. 
Be it enacted hy the SeTiate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 336 of 
the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, is amended by 
adding at the end thereof the follov^ing: "Notwithstanding any other 
provision hereof the referendum with respect to the national mar-
keting quota for wheat for the marketing year beginning July 1,1966, 
may be conducted not later than thirty days after adjournment sine 
die of the first session of the Eighty-ninth Congress.'' 
Approved July 24, 1965.