Modern Commemoratives - Congressional Report - interesting read

jmlanzaf

FYI

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44623.pdf

Goldminers

Thank you for posting and it was interesting reading.

I was surprised I did not see references to the official National Commemorative medals, which were also voted and approved by Congressional bills in Public Laws, signed by the President, only struck by the U.S. Mint, and distributed to sponsors, events or organizations for sale and distribution. These are different from the more common modern Mint medals which are distributed by the Mint facilities and are not classified as U.S. National "Commemorative" medals (NCM's).

These NCM's were primarily issued from 1954-1982 when the moratorium was placed on the other commemorative coins, "because public interest in the coins had waned and the Department of the Treasury was concerned that “multiplicity of designs on United States coins would tend to create confusion among the public, and to facilitate counterfeiting.”

In his February 1954 veto statement to Congress on S. 2474 (83rd Congress), which would have authorized a 50-cent piece for the tercentennial of New York City, President Eisenhower cited a diminishing interest among the public for the collection of commemorative coins. President Eisenhower stated, "I am further advised by the Treasury Department that in the past in many instances the public interest in these special coins has been so short-lived that their sales for the purposes intended have lagged with the result that large quantities have remained unsold and have been returned to the mints for melting."

Mr. Howard Turner' article of Nov.1985 in The Numismatist, stated, "Since the discontinuance of commemorative half dollars in 1954, this series of (National) medals has filled the gap for specialty collectors for 30 years." He also documented some of the early national medals in {1968} Turner (Howard L.). Commemorative Medals Struck at the United States Mint. The Numismatist 81:7 (July 1968) pp 858-859, 862 illus. Additional documentation of these is in John T. Dean's 2012 second edition book, National Commemorative Medals of the US Mint, an Illustrated Catalog.

I believe these other official National commemorative medals are underappreciated, and worthy of more collector interest since they are historically significant, and are essentially similar to the other Commemoratives in the article, except they are not legal tender "coins".

bigmarty58

Excellent read, thank you for posting link

ricko

Thanks for the link. I am surprised at the apparent lack of interest in the medals or the commemoratives at that time. Though, even now, interest in commemoratives comes and goes. Cheers, RickO