HR 7152 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of Mark Twain.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

September 26, 2008CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr. KUHL of New York, Ms. LEE, Mr. SHAYS, and Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial ServicesCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of Mark Twain.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Samuel Clemens--better known to the world as Mark Twain--was a unique American voice whose literary work has had a lasting effect on our Nation’s history and culture.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Mark Twain remains one of the best known Americans in the world with over 6,500 editions of his books translated into 75 languages.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Mark Twain’s literary and educational legacy remains strong even today, with nearly every book he wrote still in print, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn--both of which have never gone out of print since they were first published over a century ago.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) In the past 2 decades alone, there have been more than 100 books published and over 250 doctoral dissertations written on Mark Twain’s life and work.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) Even today, Americans seek to know more about the life and work of Mark Twain, as people from around the world and across all 50 States annually flock to National Historic Landmarks like the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT and the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, MO.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) Mark Twain’s work is remembered today for addressing the complex social issues facing America at the turn of the century, including the legacy of the Civil War, race relations, and the economic inequalities of the ‘Gilded Age’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) The year 2010 will mark both the 175th anniversary of Mark Twain’s birth and the 125th anniversary of the publication of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

(a) Denominations- The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘Secretary’) shall mint and issue the following coins:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) $5 GOLD COINS- Not more than 100,000 $5 coins, which shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) weigh 8.359 grams;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) $1 SILVER COINS- Not more than 500,000 $1 coins, which shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) weigh 26.73 grams;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Legal Tender- The coins minted under this Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Numismatic Items- For purposes of section 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.

(a) Design Requirements-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The design of the coins minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the life and legacy of Mark Twain.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS- On each coin minted under this Act there shall be--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) a designation of the value of the coin;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) an inscription of the year ‘2010’ ; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) inscriptions of the words ‘Liberty’, ‘In God We Trust’, ‘United States of America’, and ‘E Pluribus Unum’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Selection- The design for the coins minted under this Act shall be--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and the Board of the Mark Twain House and Museum; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

(a) Quality of Coins- Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Mint Facility- Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins minted under this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Period for Issuance- The Secretary may issue coins minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning on January 1, 2010.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.

(a) Sale Price- The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) the face value of the coins;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to such coins; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Bulk Sales- The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Prepaid Orders-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such coins.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) DISCOUNT- Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

(a) In General- All sales of coins issued under this Act shall include a surcharge of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Distribution- Subject to section 5134(f)(1) of title 31, United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be promptly paid by the Secretary as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) 1/2 of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support the continued restoration of the Mark Twain house and grounds, and ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum programming to research, promote and educate on the legacy of Mark Twain.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) 1/6 of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain Project at the Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley, California, to support programs to study and promote Mark Twain’s legacy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) 1/6 of the surcharges, to the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, New York, to support programs to study and promote Mark Twain’s legacy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) 1/6 of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve historical sites related to Mark Twain and help support programs to study and promote his legacy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Audits- The Comptroller General of the United States shall have the right to examine such books, records, documents, and other data of each of the organizations referred to in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of subsection (b) as may be related to the expenditures of amounts paid under such subsection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink