George Washington Commemorative Coin Act
PL 97-104 (H.R.3484), enacted 12/23/1981

PUBLIC LAW 97-104—DEC. 23, 1981 
95 STAT. 1491 
Public Law 97-104 
97th Congress 
An Act 
To provide for the minting of half dollars with a design emblematic of the two 
hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the birth of George Washington. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SHORT TITLE 
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "George Washington 
Commemorative Coin Act". 
Dec. 23, 1981 
[H.R. 3484] 
George 
Washington 
Commemorative 
Coin Act. 
31 u s e 391 note. 
Quantity. 
31 u s e 399. 
Inscriptions. 
HALF-DOLLAR COIN 
SEC. 2. Title I of the Coinage Act of 1965 (31 U.S.C. 391 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end thereof the following: 
"SEC. 109. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Secretary shall mint and issue half-dollar coins pursuant to this 
section in such quantities as are necessary to meet the needs of the 
public, except that such quantity shall not exceed 10,000,000 coins. 
"(b)(1) The half-dollar coins minted pursuant to this section shall 
weigh 12.50 grams, have a diameter of 30.61 millimeters, and be 
minted in accordance with the standard established in section 3514 of 
the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 321). 
"(2)(A) The Secretary shall determine the design which shall Design. 
appear on each side of such half-dollar coin. Both such designs shall 
be emblematic of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the 
birth of George Washington. 
"(B) On each such half-dollar coin there shall be a designation of 
the value of the coin, an inscription of the year '1982', and inscrip-
tions of the words 'Liberty', 'In God We Trust', 'United States of 
America', and 'E Pluribus Unum'. 
"(3) All half-dollar coins minted pursuant to this section shall be 
legal tender as provided in section 102 of this title (31 U.S.C. 392). 
"(c)(1) All half-dollar coins minted pursuant to this section shall be 
sold to the public by the Secretary under such regulations as he may 
prescribe and at a price equal to the cost of minting and distributing 
such half-dollar coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of machin-
ery, promotion, and overhead expenses) plus a surcharge of not more 
than 20 percent of such cost. 
"(2) An amount equal to the amount of all surcharges which are 
received by the Secretary from the sale of such half-dollar coins shall 
be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury and shall be used for 
the sole purpose of reducing the national debt. 
"(d) No half-dollar coins shall be minted pursuant to this section 
after December 31,1983. 
"(e) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.". 
Price 
determination. 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
95 STAT. 1492 
PUBLIC LAW 97-104—DEC. 23, 1981 
USE OF SILVER 
SEC. 3. The last sentence of section 202 of Public Law 91-607 (31 
U.S.C. 391 note) is hereby repealed. 
EFFECTIVE DATE 
31 use 399 note. 
SEC. 4. The amendment made by section 2 shall take effect on 
October 1,1981. 
Approved December 23, 1981. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 3484: 
SENATE REPORT No. 97-277 (Comm. on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 127 (1981): 
May 19, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 9, considered and passed Senate.