Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have passed a bill which would require the minting and issuance of coins in commemoration of the centennial of Boys Town. The bill now awaits the President’s signature to become law.
Boys Town is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving children and healing families. The original Boys Town was founded on December 12, 1917 by Father Edward Joseph Flanagan and has grown to provide care to children and families in 11 regions. The national headquarters is located in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska introduced H.R. 893 Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act on February 11, 2015. An identical bill S. 301 was also subsequently introduced in the Senate. The bill H.R. 893 was passed in the House on June 23, 2015 and passed in the Senate on June 25, 2015.
The bill calls for up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 silver dollars, and 300,000 clad composition half dollars to be issued in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan’s Boys Town. The designs are to be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury following consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Executive Director of Boys Town, and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
The coins are to be issued in proof and uncirculated qualities only during the period beginning on January 1, 2017 and ending December 31, 2017. Prices for the coins will include surcharges of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver dollar, and $5 per half dollar distributable to Boys Town to carry out Boys Town’s cause of caring for and assisting children and families in underserved communities across America.
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