The bill H.R. 2097 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin Act was introduced on April 23, 2009 by Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland. The bill was passed in the House on September 9, 2009 and then by the Senate on August 2, 2010. With the President’s approval, it has become Public Law No: 111-232.

The coins will feature designs emblematic of the War of 1812 and particularly the Battle for Baltimore, which served as the basis for Francis Scott Key’s poem “Defence of Fort McHenry.” The poem would be set to music, later be renamed “The Star Spangled Banner”, and eventually adopted as the national anthem of the United States of America. Final design selections for the coins will be made by the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The $5 Gold coins issued under the program would be limited to 100,000, with the silver dollars limited to 500,000. Each coin would be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities, with only one US Mint facility used to strike any particular quality.

Sales prices for the Star Spangled Banner Commemorative Coins would include surcharges of $35 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin distributable to the Maryland war of 1812 Bicentennial Commission to support bicentennial activities, support outreach programs, and preserve and improve sites and structures related to the War of 1812.

The bill H.R. 4684 had been introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York on February 24, 2010. It passed in the House and Senate on July 20 and July 22, 2010. With the President’s signature, the bill became Public Law No: 111-221.

Initially, bills had been introduced to strike commemorative silver dollar coins. After two commemorative coin programs were approved for 2011, revised bills calling for medals were introduced. Under current rules, only two commemorative coin programs may be approved per year.

The medals will carry a design “emblematic of the courage, sacrifice, and strength of those individuals who perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the bravery of those who risked their lives to save others that day, and the endurance, resilience, and hope of those who survived.”

Required inscriptions include the dual date “2011-2011″ and the words “Always Remember”.

Each medal will contain one ounce of silver. The sales price of the medals will include a $10 surcharge payable to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to support the operations and maintenance. The medals may be made available for sale starting on January 1, 2011.

The bill H.R. 2097 was first introduced in the House of Representatives on April 23, 2009 by Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland. The bill passed in the House on September 9, 2009. Since it has now passed in the Senate, only the President’s signature is required for the bill to become law.

The commemorative coins would feature designs emblematic of the War of 1812, particularly the Battle of Baltimore, which served as the basis for the Star Spangled Banner. The final design selection for the coins will be made by the Treasury Secretary, after consultation with the Maryland war of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The $5 gold coins would have a weight of 8.539 grams, diameter of .985 inches, and composition of 90% gold and 10% alloy. The silver dollars would weigh 26.73 grams, have a diameter of 1.5 inches, and a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper. Maximum authorized mintages would be 100,000 of the $5 gold coins and 500,000 of the silver dollars, across both proof and uncirculated versions. The coins may be issued during the calendar year beginning January 1, 2012.

Surcharges of $35 for each gold coin and $10 for each silver coin would be payable to the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission to support bicentennial activities, educational outrearch programs, and the preservation and improvement of sites and structures related to the  War of 1812.

A separate commemorative coin program for the year 2012 honoring the United States Infantry has already been approved. Under current law, only two commemorative coin programs may be approved for each year.

The bill H.R. 4684 had been introduced in the House of Representatives on February 24, 2010 by Jerrold Nadler of New York. In September 2009, Nadler had introduced a bill seeking one ounce silver commemorative coins for September 11. The newer proposal for medals, as opposed to legal tender silver dollar coins, had been introduced  following the approval of two commemorative coin programs for the year 2011 honoring the United States Army and the Medal of Honor. Under current law, only two commemorative coin programs may be approved by Congress for each year.

The authorizing legislation would provide for up to 2 million of the September 11 Silver Medals to be produced. To the extent possible one half of the medals would be stuck at the mint facility at Philadelphia and one half struck at the West Point facility. The medals could be issued starting on January 1, 2011. An ending date for sales is not specified, but no medals may be produced after December 31, 2012.

The design for the medals would be “emblematic of the courage, sacrifice, and strength of those individuals who perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the bravery of those who risked their lives to save others that day, and the endurance, resilience, and hope of those who survived.” Required inscriptions would include the years “2001-2011″ and the words “Always Remember”. The final designs would be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury following consultation with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Commission of Fine Arts, and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The cost of each medal would include a $10 surcharge per medal, paid to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to support operations and maintenance following completion.

In order for the current proposal for September 11 Commemorative Silver Medals to become a reality, the bill must be signed into law by the President.

The bill H.R. 5680 United Statse Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act was introduced by Rep. John Boozman of Arkansas on July 1, 2010. He had previously introduced the similar H.R. 2799 on June 10, 2009. This was followed by another similar bill S. 2106 introduced by Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.

Each of the bills propose a $5 gold coin with a weight of 33.931 grams, diameter of 32.7 mm, and 1 troy ounce gold content. These specifications would be unusual for a gold commemorative coin. Typical $5 gold commemorative coins have a weight of 8.359 grams, diameter of 21.6 mm, and contain 0.242 troy ounces of gold.

The obverse of the $5 Gold Coin would feature the Marshals Services Star and the reverse would feature a design emblematic of the sacrifice and service of U.S. Marshals who lost their lives in the line of duty. The coins would be struck in high relief and include incuse edge lettering with the motto “Justice, Integrity, Service”.

The $1 silver coins would have a weight of 26.73 grams, diameter of 1.5 inches, and composition of 90% silver. These specifications are typical for commemorative silver dollars. The design for the silver dollar would also bear the Marshals Services Star on the obverse with no specific guidance for the reverse design. These coins would also include edge incusion with the U.S. Marshals motto.

The current bill makes several modifications to the previously introduced legislation. The maximum mintage level for the $5 gold coins would be set at 142,000, compared to 100,000 mentioned in the prior bills. The maximum mintage for the silver dollars would be 503,000 compared to 500,000 previously.

Another change from the prior proposals is that the coins would carry the date “2014-2015″ and could be minted and issued until December 31, 2015. The prior proposals specified a date of “2014″ with authorized for production through the end of 2014.

H.R. 1177 was originally introduced on February 25, 2009 by Rep. Dennis Moore of Kansas and currently has 300 cosponsors. A similar bill S. 455 was introduced in the Senate on February 23, 2009 by Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas.

If one of the bills becomes law, the coins would be issued during the one year period beginning January 1, 2013. The designs would include portraits of the Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry Arnold, and Omar N. Bradley. Required inscriptions include the value of each coin, the year of issue, and the words “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, “United States of America”, and “E Pluribus Unum”.

The maximum authorized production levels included in the bill provide for up to 100,000 of the $5 gold coins, up to 500,000 of the $1 silver coins, and up to 750,000 of the clad half dollars. Coins would be produced in both proof and uncirculated versions. For each of the three coins, at least one US Mint facility will be used to strike proof coins, while at least one other will be used to strike uncirculated coins.

The offering price of each coin would be equal to the face value of the coin, the cost of designing and issuing the coin, and a surcharge of $35 for each gold coin, $10 for each silver coin, and $5 for each half dollar. These surcharges would be distributed to the Command and General Staff College Foundation to help support the Command and General Staff College.

Late last year, a bill authorizing 2013 Girl Scouts Commemorative Coins was signed into law. Since only two commemorative coin programs can be approved for each year, only one more program may be approved for 2013. Other programs proposed for 2013 include coins commemorating Mark Twain, Ronald Reagan, and the Gettysburg Campaign and Gettysburg Address.

H.R. 2421 was first introduced on May 14, 2009 by Rep. Shelley Capito of West Virginia. A similar bill had been introduced in the Senate a week earlier on May 7, 2009 by John Rockefeller of West Virginia.

If one of these bills becomes law, up to 400,000 of the Mother’s Day Silver Dollars could be minted and issued for 2014. The coins would feature a design emblematic of the 100th anniversary of President Wilson’s proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. The designs would be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

Each coin would be minted in 90% silver and 10% copper with a diameter of 1.5 inches and weight of 26.73 grams. Both proof and uncirculated versions of the coin would be produced. The coins may be issued beginning on January 1, 2014. No coins may be minted after December 31, 2014.

The coins would be sold at a price equal to the face value of the coins, the cost of designing and issuing the coins, and a $10 surcharge. The surcharges collected from the sale of coins would be distributed one half to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and one half to the Natoinal Osteoporosis Foundation for the purpose of furthering the research funded by each organization.

In order for the coins to become a reality, one of the bills must be passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate and then signed into law by the President. One commemorative coin program has already been approved for the year 2014 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The bill S. 3009 The Gettysburg Campaign Act was introduced on February 11, 2010 by Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

The current bill is similar to H.R. 2123, which was introduced in the House on April 27, 2009 and sought a similar array of commemorative coins. However, the current bill makes some interesting adjustments to the authorized mitnages for each coin.

The maximum authorized mintages under S. 3009 are 75,000 for the $5 gold coins, 350,000 for the silver dollars, and 100,000 for the half dollars. The mintages for the gold and silver coins are somewhat low, but the clad half dollar mintage reaches the extreme. Typically, when clad half dollars are included in a commemorative coin program, they carry the highest authorized mintage since they are the most affordable coins. The last commemorative half dollar issued in 2008 had an authorized mintage of 750,000.

Under the previously introduced H.R. 2123, the authorized mintages were set at more typical levels of 100,000 for the gold coins, 500,000 for the silver coins, and 750,000 for the clad half dollars.

With regards to the design, the bill indicates that the coins “shall contain motifs that specifically commemorate the invasion of Pennsylvania, the Battle of Gettysburg, and President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.” The final designs would be selected by the Treasury Secretary after consultation with the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Interior, The Army Heritage Center Foundation (AHCF), the Gettysburg Foundation, the Commission of Fine Arts, and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The coins would be minted in uncirculated and proof qualities, with at least one US Mint facility used to strike each version. Coins may be issued during the one year period beginning January 1, 2013.

Surcharges in the amounts of $35 for each gold coin, $10 for each silver coin, and $5 for each clad coin would be added to the cost of each coin. One third of the surcharges would be distributed to the AHCF and two thirds would be distributed to the Gettysburg Foundation.

The bill S. 3009 was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. To become law, the bill must be passed by the Senate and House and signed by the President.

One commemorative coin program has already been approved for the year 2013 for the centennial of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Under current law, a maximum of two commemorative coin programs may be approved per year.

James Monroe Presidential Dollar

On December 16, 2009, H.R. 4329 was introduced, which seeks to authorize a commemorative coin program for President James Monroe. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia.

Before becoming the fifth President of the United States, James Monroe had actively served in the military during the Revolutionary War; served as governor of Virginia; member of the Continental Congress; United States Senator; Minister to France, England, and Spain; Secretary of State; and Secretary of War. During his two terms as President, he admitted Maine and Missouri as states, acquired Florida, limited the expansion of slavery, and promulgated the Monroe Doctrine.

James Monroe was previously featured on a circulating dollar coin released in 2008 as part of the Presidential $1 coin series. The commemorative coins would be issued in 2016, which will mark the bicentennial of his election as President.

The coins issued under the commemorative coin program would include a $50 gold coin with a weight of 33.931 grams, diameter of 32.7 mm, and one ounce gold content. These are the specifications of the one ounce American Gold Eagle bullion coin. Also included would be a $1 silver coin weighing 26.73 grams and measuring 1.5 inches in diameter, and a 50 cent clad composition half dollar weighing 11.34 grams and measuring 1.205 inches in diameter.

The bill H.R. 4329 includes some specific guidance on the designs of the James Monroe commemorative coins. The obverse of the coins would bear a profile image of James Monroe based on an 1830 portrait by Rembrandt Peale. The reverse of the coins would feature an image of the Monroe birthplace as drawn by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation based on an etching published in 1830.

If the bill becomes law, it would create a commemorative coin program with some unique aspects. This would be the first commemorative coin issued with a $50 face value and one ounce gold content. All modern commemorative coins struck in gold have carried a $5 or $10 face value with gold content of 0.242 or 0.4837 ounces. Additionally, the design requirements are very specific and seem to apply to all coins issued under the program. This suggests that all three coins would have an identical or very similar design.

The James Monroe Commemorative Coins would be issued in proof and uncirculated versions. The maximum authorized mintages would be 20,000 of the $50 gold coins, 275,000 of the $1 silver coins, and 500,000 of the half dollars. Surcharges would be added to the price of each coins, distributable to the James Monroe Memorial Foundation.

“The Medal of Honor Foundation is very grateful for the strong support of Congress and the President in the establishment of a Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin,” said Nick Kehoe, President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. “The Foundation is proud to help perpetuate the Medal of Honor’s rich legacy of courage, sacrifice and selflessness through this coin honoring the Medal’s 150th anniversary.”

H.R. 1209 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009 was introduced by Christopher Carney of Pennsylvania and Mark Kirk of Illinois on February 26, 2009. The bill passed the House on May 14, 2009 and passed the Senate on October 22, 2009. A companion bill was also introduced in the Senate by John Kerry of Massachusetts and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

The $5 gold coins will have a weight of 8.359 grams, diameter of 0.85 inches, and a composition of 90% gold and 10% alloy. The $1 silver coins will have a weight of 26.73 grams, diameter of 1.5 inches, and composition of 90% silver and 10% copper.

According to the legislation, the design of the coins shall be emblematic of the traditions, legacy and heritage of the Medal of Honor, and the distinguished service of its recipients. The final designs will be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with the Board of the  Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Board of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, the Commission of Fine Arts, and review by the Citizens Coin Advisory Committee. The legislation includes the following description of the coin designs:

The design for the coins minted under this Act shall contain motifs that represent the 3 Medal of Honor designs (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and specifically honor the Medal of Honor recipients of both today and yesterday, such designs to be consistent with the traditions and heritage of the United States Armed Services, the mission and goals of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and the mission and goals of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation.

The coins will be issued only during the one year period beginning on January 1, 2011 in proof and uncirculated qualities. The $5 gold coin is limited to a maximum of 100,000 coins and the $1 silver coin is limited to a maximum of 500,000 coins.

Surcharges of $35 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin will be added to the purchase price of each coin. These surcharges will be paid to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation to help finance their educational, scholarship and outreach programs.