Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
PL 109-146 (H.R.358), enacted 12/22/2005

119 STAT. 2676
PUBLIC LAW 109–146—DEC. 22, 2005
Public Law 109–146
109th Congress
An Act
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the
50th anniversary of the desegregation of the Little Rock Central High School
in Little Rock, Arkansas, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Little Rock Central High School
Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) September 2007, marks the 50th anniversary of the
desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock,
Arkansas.
(2) In 1957, Little Rock Central High was the site of
the first major national test for the implementation of the
historic decision of the United States Supreme Court in Brown,
et al. v. Board of Education of Topeka, et al., 347 U.S. 483
(1954).
(3) The courage of the ‘‘Little Rock Nine’’ (Ernest Green,
Elizabeth Eckford, Melba Pattillo, Jefferson Thomas, Carlotta
Walls, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed, and
Minnijean Brown) who stood in the face of violence, was influen-
tial to the Civil Rights movement and changed American history
by providing an example on which to build greater equality.
(4) The desegregation of Little Rock Central High by the
9 African American students was recognized by Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. as such a significant event in the struggle
for civil rights that in May 1958, he attended the graduation
of the first African American from Little Rock Central High
School.
(5) A commemorative coin will bring national and inter-
national attention to the lasting legacy of this important event.
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 500,000 $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.
Little Rock
Central High
School
Desegregation
50th Anniversary
Commemorative
Coin Act.
31 USC 5112
note.
Dec. 22, 2005
[H.R. 358]
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119 STAT. 2677
PUBLIC LAW 109–146—DEC. 22, 2005
(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 desegregation of the
Little Rock Central High School 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 ‘‘2007’’; and
(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, 2007, 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, 2007.
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, and subsection (d), 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 Secretary of the
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119 STAT. 2678
PUBLIC LAW 109–146—DEC. 22, 2005
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 358:
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 109–134, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Financial Services).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 151 (2005):
June 27, considered and passed House.
Nov. 18, considered and passed Senate, amended.
Dec. 18, House concurred in Senate amendment.
Interior for the protection, preservation, and interpretation of
resources and stories associated with Little Rock Central High
School National Historic Site, including the following:
(1) Site improvements at Little Rock Central High School
National Historic Site.
(2) Development of interpretive and education programs
and historic preservation projects.
(3) Establishment of cooperative agreements to preserve
or restore the historic character of the Park Street and Daisy
L. Gatson Bates Drive corridors adjacent to the site.
(c) 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.
(d) CREDITABLE FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other provision
of the law and recognizing the unique partnership nature of the
Department of the Interior and the Little Rock School District
at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site and
the significant contributions made by the Little Rock School District
to preserve and maintain the historic character of the high school,
any non-Federal funds expended by the school district (regardless
of the source of the funds) for improvements at the Little Rock
Central High School National Historic Site, to the extent such
funds were used for the purposes described in paragraph (1), (2),
or (3) of subsection (b), shall be deemed to meet the requirement
of funds from private sources of section 5134(f)(1)(A)(ii) of title
31, United States Code, with respect to the Secretary of the Interior.
Approved December 22, 2005.
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