S 2579 IESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the establishment of the United States Army in 1775, to honor the American soldier of both today and yesterday, in wartime and in peace, and to commemorate the traditions, history, and heritage of the United States Army and its role in American society, from the Colonial period to today.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 `‘United States Army Commemorative Coin Act of 2008'’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) the United States Army, founded in 1775, has served this country well for over 230 years;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) the United States Army has played a decisive role in protecting and defending freedom throughout the history of the United States, from the Colonial period to today, in wartime and in peace, and has consistently answered the call to serve the American people at home and abroad since the Revolutionary War;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) the sacrifice of the American soldier, of all ranks, since the earliest days of the Republic has been immense and is deserving of the unique recognition bestowed by commemorative coinage;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) the Army, the Nation'’s oldest and largest military service, is the only service branch that currently does not have a comprehensive national museum celebrating, preserving, and displaying its heritage and honoring its veterans;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) the National Museum of the United States Army will be--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) the Army'’s only service-wide, national museum honoring all soldiers, of all ranks, in all branches since 1775; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, across the Potomac River from the Nation'’s Capitol, a 10-minute drive from Mount Vernon, the home of the Army'’s first Commander-in-Chief, and astride the Civil War'’s decisive Washington-Richmond corridor;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) the Army Historical Foundation (in this Act referred to as the `Foundation'‘Foundation’), founded in 1983--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) is dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American soldier; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) seeks to educate future Americans to fully appreciate the sacrifices that generations of American soldiers have made to safeguard the freedoms of this Nation;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) the completion and opening to the public of the National Museum of the United States Army will immeasurably help in fulfilling that mission;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) the Foundation is a nongovernmental, member-based, and publicly supported nonprofit organization that is dependent on funds from members, donations, and grants for support;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) the Foundation uses such support to help create the National Museum of the United States Army, refurbish historical Army buildings, acquire and conserve Army historical art and artifacts, support Army history educational programs, for research, and publication of historical materials on the American soldier, and to provide support and counsel to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals as the Foundation;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(10) in 2000, the Secretary of the Army designated the Foundation as its primary partner in the building of the National Museum of the United States Army; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(11) the Foundation is actively engaged in executing a major capital campaign to support the National Museum of the United States Army.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

(a) Denominations- In recognition and celebration of the founding of the United States Army in 1775, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Treasury (in this Act referred to as the `Secretary'‘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





(3) HALF DOLLAR CLAD COINS- Not more than 750,000 half dollar coins, which shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) weigh 11.34 grams;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) be minted to the specifications for half dollar coins, contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code.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 sections 5134 and 5136 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 traditions, history, and heritage of the United States Army, and its role in American society from the Colonial period to today.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) DESIGNATIONS 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 `2011'‘2011’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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





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





(1) contain motifs that specifically honor the American soldier of both today and yesterday, in wartime and in peace, such designs to be consistent with the traditions and heritage of the United States Army, the mission and goals of the National Museum of the United States Army, and the missions and goals of the Foundation;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) be selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of the Army, the Foundation, and the Commission of Fine Arts; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) be 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 Facilities- For each of the 3 coins minted under this Act, at least 1 facility of the United States Mint shall be used to strike proof quality coins, while at least 1 other such facility shall be used to strike the uncirculated quality coins.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, 2011.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 minted under this Act shall include a surcharge as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) A surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





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





(3) A surcharge of $5 per coin for the half dollar coin.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Distribution- Subject to section 5134(f) 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 to the Foundation to help finance the National Museum of the United States Army.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Audits- The Foundation shall be subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code, with regard to the amounts received by the Foundation under subsection (b).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) 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 commemorative 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 enactment of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out this subsection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink