On August 16, 2010, President Obama signed a bill into law, which authorizes the production of gold and silver coins to commemorate the bicentennial of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. The coins would be issued during the calendar year starting January 1, 2012.
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.
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