Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Coin Act
PL 110-451 (H.R.2040), enacted 12/02/2008

122 STAT. 5021 
PUBLIC LAW 110–451—DEC. 2, 2008 
Public Law 110–451 
110th Congress 
An Act 
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 
semicentennial of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 
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 ‘‘Civil Rights Act of 1964 
Commemorative Coin Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress hereby finds as follows: 
(1) On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks’ brave act of defiance, 
refusing to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated 
bus in Montgomery, Alabama, galvanized the modern civil 
rights movement and led to the desegregation of the South. 
(2) On February 1, 1960, 4 college students, Joseph McNeil, 
Franklin McCain, David Richmond, and Ezell Blair, Jr., asked 
to be served at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, 
and lunch counter sit-ins began to occur throughout the South 
to challenge segregation in places of public accommodation. 
(3) On May 4, 1961, the Freedom Rides into the South 
began to test new court orders barring segregation in interstate 
transportation, and riders were jailed and beaten by mobs 
in several places, including Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala-
bama. 
(4) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was the leading civil 
rights advocate of the time, spearheading the civil rights move-
ment in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s with 
the goal of nonviolent social change and full civil rights for 
African Americans. 
(5) On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 
led over 250,000 civil rights supporters in the March on Wash-
ington and delivered his famous ‘‘I Have A Dream’’ speech 
to raise awareness and support for civil rights legislation. 
(6) Mrs. Coretta Scott King, a leading participant in the 
American civil rights movement, was side-by-side with her hus-
band, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during many civil rights 
marches, organized Freedom Concerts to draw attention to 
the Movement, and worked in her own right to create an 
America in which all people have equal rights. 
(7) The mass movement sparked by Rosa Parks and led 
by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among others, called upon 
the Congress and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon 
31 USC 5112 
note. 
Civil Rights 
Act of 1964 
Commemorative 
Coin Act. 
Dec. 2, 2008 
[H.R. 2040] 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
12:20 Dec 08, 2009
Jkt 069194
PO 00004
Frm 00831
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6581
M:\STATUTES\2008\PT4\69194PT4.001
APPS10
PsN: 69194PT4
dkrause on DSK1YNZS61 with PUBLAW
122 STAT. 5022 
PUBLIC LAW 110–451—DEC. 2, 2008 
B. Johnson to pass civil rights legislation which culminated 
in the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 
(8) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 greatly expanded civil 
rights protections, outlawing racial discrimination and segrega-
tion in public places and places of public accommodation, in 
federally funded programs, and employment and encouraging 
desegregation in public schools, and has served as a model 
for subsequent anti-discrimination laws. 
(9) We are an eminently better Nation because of Rosa 
Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and all those men and 
women who have confronted, and continue to confront, injustice 
and inequality wherever they see it. 
(10) Equality in education was one of the cornerstones 
of the civil rights movement. 
(11) On September 10, 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King, 
Jr., wrote that African American ‘‘students are coming to under-
stand that education and learning have become tools for 
shaping the future and not devices of privilege for an exclusive 
few’’. 
(12) Over its long and distinguished history, the United 
Negro College Fund has provided scholarships and operating 
funds to its member colleges that have enabled more than 
300,000 young African Americans to earn college degrees and 
become successful members of society. 
(13) Those graduates include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 
as well as leaders in the fields of education, science, medicine, 
law, entertainment, literature, the military, and politics who 
have made major contributions to the civil rights movement 
and the creation of a more equitable society. 
(14) Congress has an obligation to lead America’s continued 
struggle to fight discrimination and ensure equal rights for 
all. 
(15) The year 2014 will mark the semicentennial of the 
passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 
(a) DENOMINATIONS.—The Secretary of the Treasury (herein-
after in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and 
issue not more than 350,000 $1 coins 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 section 5136 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.—The design of the coins minted 
under this Act shall be emblematic of the enactment of the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964 and its contribution to civil rights in America. 
(b) DESIGNATION
AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On each coin minted 
under this Act there shall be— 
(1) a designation of the value of the coin; 
(2) an inscription of the year ‘‘2014’’; and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
12:20 Dec 08, 2009
Jkt 069194
PO 00004
Frm 00832
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6581
M:\STATUTES\2008\PT4\69194PT4.001
APPS10
PsN: 69194PT4
dkrause on DSK1YNZS61 with PUBLAW
122 STAT. 5023 
PUBLIC LAW 110–451—DEC. 2, 2008 
(3) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, ‘‘In God We Trust’’, 
‘‘United States of America’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’. 
(c) 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 
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee 
established under section 5135 of title 31, United States Code. 
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 
(a) QUALITY
OF COINS.—Coins minted under this Act shall 
be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 
(b) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue 
coins minted under this Act beginning January 1, 2014, except 
that the Secretary may initiate sales of such coins, without issuance, 
before such date. 
(c) TERMINATION OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No coins shall be 
minted under this Act after December 31, 2014. 
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 
(a) SALE PRICE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the Secretary 
at a price equal to the sum of the face value of the coins, the 
surcharge required under section 7(a) for the coins, and the cost 
of designing and issuing such coins (including labor, materials, 
dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, and marketing). 
(b) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the 
coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount. 
(c) PREPAID ORDERS AT A DISCOUNT.— 
(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) SURCHARGE REQUIRED.—All sales shall include a surcharge 
of $10 per coin. 
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United 
States Code, all surcharges which are received by the Secretary 
from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly 
paid by the Secretary to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) 
to carry out the purposes of the Fund, including providing scholar-
ships and internships for minority students and operating funds 
and technology enhancement services for 39 member historically 
black colleges and universities. 
(c) AUDITS.—The United Negro College Fund shall be subject 
to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United 
States Code, with regard to the amounts received by the Fund 
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 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 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
12:20 Dec 08, 2009
Jkt 069194
PO 00004
Frm 00833
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6581
M:\STATUTES\2008\PT4\69194PT4.001
APPS10
PsN: 69194PT4
dkrause on DSK1YNZS61 with PUBLAW
122 STAT. 5024 
PUBLIC LAW 110–451—DEC. 2, 2008 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2040: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 154 (2008): 
Apr. 1, considered and passed House. 
Nov. 19, considered and passed Senate. 
date of the enactment of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury 
may issue guidance to carry out this subsection. 
Approved December 2, 2008. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
12:20 Dec 08, 2009
Jkt 069194
PO 00004
Frm 00834
Fmt 6580
Sfmt 6580
M:\STATUTES\2008\PT4\69194PT4.001
APPS10
PsN: 69194PT4
dkrause on DSK1YNZS61 with PUBLAW