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Congress overdoes it again with commemorative coins
Michigan
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Just passed the house: 50th Anniversary of NASA/JPL commemorative coin bill.
$50 gold slug and 9 silver dollars - one representing each planet.
$50 gold slug and 9 silver dollars - one representing each planet.
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I'd give you the world, just because...
Speak to me of loved ones, favorite places and things, loves lost and gained, tears shed for joy and sorrow, of when I see the sparkle in your eye ...
and the blackness when the dream dies, of lovers, fools, adventurers and kings while I sip my wine and contemplate the Chi.
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Billy
<< <i>The planets are interesting but they are not going anywhere soon. Id use the reverses to show the Mercury, Gemini, Apolo, Apollo-Soyuz (that would be nice) and Shuttle accomplishments. Maybe also the Apollo and the 2 Shuttle disasters? Maybe mention the NACA too? The A in Nasa is still for "Aeronautical", and they did the X-15 as well as a host of other things since from 1915-1958. Just thinking aloud...I have no idea about modern commems.
Billy >>
How exciting can a coin representing a planet be? Its round and........ well they could put rings around
Saturn I guess.
<< <i>
<< <i>The planets are interesting but they are not going anywhere soon. Id use the reverses to show the Mercury, Gemini, Apolo, Apollo-Soyuz (that would be nice) and Shuttle accomplishments. Maybe also the Apollo and the 2 Shuttle disasters? Maybe mention the NACA too? The A in Nasa is still for "Aeronautical", and they did the X-15 as well as a host of other things since from 1915-1958. Just thinking aloud...I have no idea about modern commems.
Billy >>
How exciting can a coin representing a planet be? Its round and........ well they could put rings around
Saturn I guess. >>
I guess they could put allegorical figures on the coins from which the names of which the planet comes from.
For Saturn they could put a car and for Pluto the famous Disney character
for Uranus..... ah never mind.
<< <i>
<< <i>The planets are interesting but they are not going anywhere soon. Id use the reverses to show the Mercury, Gemini, Apolo, Apollo-Soyuz (that would be nice) and Shuttle accomplishments. Maybe also the Apollo and the 2 Shuttle disasters? Maybe mention the NACA too? The A in Nasa is still for "Aeronautical", and they did the X-15 as well as a host of other things since from 1915-1958. Just thinking aloud...I have no idea about modern commems.
Billy >>
How exciting can a coin representing a planet be? Its round and........ well they could put rings around
Saturn I guess. >>
Not so at all. They could be extremely interesting and informative if designed correctly. While I might rather see the design I spoke of, planets on coins would be an incredible opportunity to break new ground in US coin design. They are all so very different and could be showed with in so many diferent ways, including a nod to the original sources for the name of each, the discoverer (Pulto was unknown until 1930 or so..). Of course, the numbers of moons keep changing..
Billy
How about on the reverse of a coin the picture from the surface of titan taken from the hyugens probe. With all the round rocks. Or a picture of the comet that just got shot at on the 4th of july. A picture of the explosion happening.
<< <i>Proof + Unc = 18 pieces >>
This is going to be an expensive set.
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
<< <i>Just passed the house: 50th Anniversary of NASA/JPL commemorative coin bill.
$50 gold slug and 9 silver dollars - one representing each planet. >>
Could be worse I suppose ... hologram reverse design showing a false color image of the planet ...
Steve
Happy Rock Wrens
You're having delusions of grandeur again. - Susan Ivanova
Well, if you're gonna have delusions, may as well go for the really satisfying ones. - Marcus Cole
<< <i> Proof + Unc = 18 pieces >>
That's without the gold.
<< <i>
<< <i>Proof + Unc = 18 pieces >>
This is going to be an expensive set. >>
And then all the missions, Gemini, Apollo etc. Then the astronauts, man this could be a big one.
Chicolini: Mint? No, no, I no like a mint. Uh - what other flavor you got?
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/bdquery
NASA AND JPL 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT -- (House of Representatives - July 12, 2005)
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---
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 68) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 68
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary) shall mint and issue the following coins:
(1) $50 GOLD COINS.--Not more than 50,000 $50 gold coins which shall--
(A) weigh 33.931 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 32.7 millimeters; and
(C) contain 1 troy ounce of fine gold.
(2) $1 SILVER COINS.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins of each of the 9 designs specified in section 3(a)(3)(B), which shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.
(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.
SEC. 3. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--
(1) IN GENERAL.--The design of the coins minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
(2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.--On each coin minted under this Act there shall be--
(A) a designation of the value of the coin ;
(B) an inscription of the year ``2008''; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus Unum'', and such other inscriptions as the Secretary may determine to be appropriate for the designs of the coins.
(3) COIN IMAGES.--
(A) $50 COINS.--
(i) OBVERSE.--The obverse of the $50 coins issued under this Act shall bear an image of the sun.
(ii) REVERSE.--The reverse of the $50 coins issued under this Act shall bear a design emblematic of the sacrifice of the United States astronauts who lost their lives in the line of duty over the course of the space program.
(iii) EDGE.--The edge of the $50 coins issued under this Act shall bear the names and dates of the spacecraft missions on which United States astronauts lost their lives over the course of the space program.
(iv) HIGH RELIEF.--The design and inscriptions on the obverse and reverse of the $50 coins issued under this Act shall be in high relief.
(B) $1 COINS.--
(i) OBVERSE.--The obverse of the $1 coins issued under this Act shall bear 9 different designs each of which shall consist of an image of 1 of the 9 planets of the solar system, including Earth.
(ii) REVERSE.--The reverse of the $1 coins issued under this Act shall bear different designs each of which shall be emblematic of discoveries and missions of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to the planet depicted on the obverse of the coin , subject to the following requirements:
(I) EARTH COIN .--The reverse of the $1 coins issued under this Act which bear an image of the Earth on the obverse shall bear images emblematic of, and honoring, the discoveries and missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Mercury, Gemini and Space Shuttle missions and other manned Earth-orbiting missions, and the Apollo missions to the Moon.
(II) JUPITER COIN .--The reverse of the $1 coins issued under this Act which bear an image of the planet Jupiter on the obverse shall include a scientifically accurate depiction of the Galilean moon Europa and depict both a past and future mission to Europa.
(III) SATURN COIN .--The reverse of the $1 coins issued under this Act which bear an image of the planet Saturn on the obverse shall include a scientifically accurate depiction of the moon Titan and depict both a past and a future mission to Titan.
(IV) PLUTO COIN .--The reverse of the $1 coins issued under this Act which bear an image of the planet Pluto on the obverse shall include a design that is emblematic of telescopic exploration of deep space by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the ongoing search for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars.
(iii) EDGE.--It is the sense of the Congress that, to the extent practicable, the edge of each $1 coin should bear the names and dates or range of dates of missions or mission types to the planet depicted on the obverse.
(4) REALISTIC AND SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE DEPICTIONS.--The images for the designs of coins issued under this Act shall be selected on the basis of the realism and scientific accuracy of the images and on the extent to which the images are reminiscent of the dramatic and beautiful artwork on coins of the so-called ``Golden Age of Coinage'' in the United States, at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, with the participation of such noted sculptors and medallic artists as James Earle Fraser, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Victor David Brenner, Adolph A. Weinman, Charles E. Barber, and George T. Morgan.
(b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coin Advisory Committee.
SEC. 4. SYMBOLIC INCLUSION OF METALS THAT HAVE FLOWN IN SPACE.
(a) Collection.--Each Federal agency and instrumentality of the United States, including the Department of Defense, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, that has in its possession any craft, or any part of a craft, that flew in space shall--
(1) retrieve such gold, silver, copper, and other metals that the Director of the United States Mint determines are appropriate for use in the production of any coins under this Act, from such craft or part, that can be retrieved without harming any such craft or part that may be of continuing use for its original purpose or for research, or whose preservation is appropriate for historical purposes; and
(2) deposit such metals so retrieved with the Director of the United States Mint.
(b) Use of Metals in Production of Coins.--Any metals deposited with the Director of the United States Mint under subsection (a) shall be used in the production of the coins struck under this Act by blending such metals with other metal necessary for the production of such coins so that all of the coins produced under this Act will contain some proportion of the bullion obtained from craft or parts of crafts that flew in space in an amount appropriate for the types and denominations of the coins and the amount of metals so deposited.
(c) Recordkeeping.--It is the sense of the Congress that each Federal agency and instrumentality of the United States which retrieves any metals in accordance with subsection (a) should maintain accurate and complete records of the retrieval and deposit of any such metals sufficient to allow the Director of the United States Mint--
(1) to provide certificates of authenticity with coins issued under this Act that some proportion of the contents of such coins were obtained from craft or parts of crafts that flew in space; and
(2) to package with each issued coin a list of the missions in which such craft flew in space.
(d) Private Spacecraft.--
(1) IN GENERAL.--Each Federal agency and instrumentality of the United States that has or continues to conduct space-related missions shall, in addition to the efforts described in subsection (a), make efforts to secure and retrieve from privately-held craft that has flown in space such gold, silver, copper and other metals that the Director of the United States Mint determines are appropriate for use in the production of any coins under this Act.
(2) RECORDKEEPING.--It is the sense of the Congress that each Federal agency and instrumentality of the United States which retrieves any metals pursuant to paragraph (1)
[Page: H5650] GPO's PDF
from privately-held craft that has flown in space should comply with the recordkeeping procedures described in subsection (c) with respect to such metal.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in proof quality only.
(b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States Mint may be used to strike any particular combination of denomination and quality of the coins minted under this Act.
(c) Commencement of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted under this Act beginning January 1, 2008.
(d) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins may be minted under this Act after December 31, 2008.
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--
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping).
(b) Prepaid Orders.--
(1) IN GENERAL.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such coins.
(2) DISCOUNT.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
(c) Presentation.--In addition to the issuance of coins under this Act in such other methods of presentation as the Secretary of the Treasury determines to be appropriate, the Secretary shall provide, as a sale option, a presentation case which displays the $50 gold coin in the center surrounded by the $1 silver coins in an elliptical orbit.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this Act shall include a surcharge as follows:
(1) A surcharge of $50 per coin for the $50 coin .
(2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin .
(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 distributed as follows:
(1) The first $1,000,000 available for distribution under this section, to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing need-based financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties.
(2) Of amounts available for distribution after the payment under paragraph (1), 1/2 to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for the preservation, maintenance, and display of space artifacts at the National Air and Space Museum (including the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center).
(3) Of amounts available for distribution after the payment under paragraph (1), 1/2 to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for the express purpose of providing funding for the establishment of a new stand-alone National Museum of Money.
(c) Audits.--The NASA Family Assistance Fund and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution shall be subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code, with regard to the amounts received under subsection (b).
(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 the enactment of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue guidance to carry out this subsection.
SEC. 8. BRONZE DUPLICATES.
The Secretary may strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $50 gold coins authorized under this Act, at a price the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker).
GENERAL LEAVE
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 68 and to insert extraneous material thereon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Louisiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson) and the Members of the Texas delegation for their efforts in recognizing the achievements of NASA with the introduction of H.R. 68.
It is highly appropriate at the time we are soon to expect the space shuttle program to reenter demand exploration effort this week that we observe and appreciate the heroism, genius and sacrifices that the program has given us to this point in time.
I think it is also appropriate that with NASA's Deep Impact Project of just a few days ago, impacting the surface of Comet Temple, as well as the very slow rolling wheels of Spirit and Opportunity cross and traverse the face of Mars, it seems stunningly impossible that these programs began only 50 years ago. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I think this legislation is important for the House to favorably consider as it seeks to commemorate the anniversary by issuing in 2008 into silver dollar coins and a single $50 coin representing the nine planets and the gold coin representing the sun.
Fittingly, the first million dollars of surcharges resulting from this effort will go to a needs-based fund benefiting the next of kin of those heroes who died in the exploration of space. Further, the remainder of funds will go to the Smithsonian for help in preservation of important spacecraft and half of the fund to create a stand-alone Smithsonian museum here in the District dedicated specifically to coins, currency and other monetary forms of transaction.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson) who has led the charge to see this goal through to its final conclusion.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time and for bringing this bill to the floor in an expeditious fashion. I want to thank the committee members. I want to thank my 291 co-sponsors. I especially want to thank an extraordinarily able member of the gentleman's staff, Joe Pinder, who has done a superb job in helping prepare this bill for this floor.
It is indeed appropriate that the Congress recognize the 50th anniversary of the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with this commemorative coin set for the year 2008 here about 24 hours away from America's return to space with our launch tomorrow afternoon of the Space Shuttle Discovery, which will go from zero to Mach 25 in 8 minutes and 30 seconds into Earth's orbit tomorrow and just a short week after the Jet Propulsion Laboratory again showed the world the technological prowess of America's space program by hitting a comet for the very first time and exposing its inner workings to the eyes of scientists.
It was, in fact, on January 31 of 1958 that the American space program began with the launch of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, which was built and controlled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, under the guidance of the United States Army in response to the Soviet Union's launching of Sputnik. The United States responded very quickly, and before the year was out, the Congress had created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on December 3, 1958. JPL was then transferred over to the control of NASA. And since that time, JPL and NASA and the United States have gone on to explore our entire solar system with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope.
We now have telescopes in orbit around the Earth that have identified up to 160 planets around other solar systems. NASA has discovered, as the chairman just mentioned, with the Mars Rovers that liquid water not only once existed on the surface of Mars, it appears that there are large frozen lakes on Mars. We have landed on the surface of the moon Titan. We not only landed men on the moon with the very successful Apollo program, but we are, under President Bush's vision for space exploration and the leadership of our new NASA administrator, Mike Griffin, rapidly moving towards the day very soon when men and women will return to the surface of the moon.
The accomplishments of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are absolutely extraordinary, but this exploration has not come without risk or loss. As with all exploration that is new in pressing the frontiers, it is dangerous. Tragically, on January 27, 1967,
[Page: H5651] GPO's PDF
the three Apollo astronauts were killed in a fire on the launch pad of Apollo I. On January 28, 1996 the Space Shuttle Challenger was lost with its entire crew. And on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew were lost during reentry.
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in a word, oversaturation.
Chicolini: Mint? No, no, I no like a mint. Uh - what other flavor you got?
Hmmm. Not so sure I like this. I'd prefer if they were to make only an uncirculated version than only a PROOF.
<< <i>Exactly how big is this $50 coin going to be? A $50 surcharge makes it sound like this could be very big, very expensive...and maybe scarce at the end of the run?
Per the bill posted above, they will be just a scosh heavier and ever so slightly smaller in diameter than a double eagle- and 1 troy Oz of gold-so price will be definitely upwards of $500, unless the price of gold drops significantly before then.
They are not going to be the same size as the Pan Pac $50 slugs.
Don
<< <i>Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill >>
Can a lawyer or politician tell me what rule they are suspending? I hear them say that all the time on CSPAN but never understand what rule they are suspending?
<< <i>4) REALISTIC AND SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE DEPICTIONS.--The images for the designs of coins issued under this Act shall be selected on the basis of the realism and scientific accuracy of the images and on the extent to which the images are reminiscent of the dramatic and beautiful artwork on coins of the so-called ``Golden Age of Coinage'' in the United States, at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, with the participation of such noted sculptors and medallic artists as James Earle Fraser, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Victor David Brenner, Adolph A. Weinman, Charles E. Barber, and George T. Morgan. >>
What an oxymoron. Leave it to Congress.
CG
<< <i>
<< <i>Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill >>
Can a lawyer or politician tell me what rule they are suspending? I hear them say that all the time on CSPAN but never understand what rule they are suspending? >>
I believe they are bypassing the roll-call vote or something like that. They usually bypass it for time considerations when it's obvious that something will pass and doesn't have any real opposition.
They could do some sweet packaging of these coins.....
I think they would be better off with a slug gold coin as the sun and a bunch of silver halves for the planets with a commerative quarter for the moon.....
This is a better idea then the one that is very likely to be coming out for the Integration of schools in the south.....
Geez...
Space/NASA is a great subject for commemoratives!
(I was bummed the shuttle couldn't launch yesterday. )
collections: Maryland related coins & exonumia, 7070 Type set, and Video Arcade Tokens.
The Low Budget Y2K Registry Set
Billy
<< <i>I still think planets are not as appropriate as the NASA programs. The moon was on the IKE - any other heavenly bodies on US coins (besides Miss Liberty etc..)
Billy >>
Well, the rising (or is it setting?) sun is on Walkers and SAEs, and on St Gauden's double eagles. also on arkansas commem.
columbian expo commem has the globe, so you could say earth.
Don
Too many and it was not popular at the time.
But look at where the prices are at today.
A few are in the $200 range in MS-65
I think it is a great choice of subjects for coins. Certainly, a much better idea than say, "the presidential wives". What is that all about?
Anyway, I am looking forward to them.
JMHO
By the way, there is also a close up of the moon's surface on the reverse of the SBA dollar.
<< <i> Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill >>
Can a lawyer or politician tell me what rule they are suspending? I hear them say that all the time on CSPAN but never understand what rule they are suspending? >>
One rule that they are suspending is the reading of the bill. Under the rules the entire bill has to be read before it can be voted on. Can you imagine them reading those sometimes 1000 page behemoths.
<< <i>(iii) EDGE.--The edge of the $50 coins issued under this Act shall bear the names and dates of the spacecraft missions on which United States astronauts lost their lives over the course of the space program. >>
That seems like a lot to put on the edge of the coin, three missions. Why do I see this becoming three gold coins, one for each mission.
Second, everything old is new again. My Dad has a set of silver rounds from the Franklin Mint in the early 1970's for all of the space missions. It is really cool to see all the proof coins issued for this. Unfortunately they are probably worth little more than the silver the are minted with. Having a program like this from the mint seems like a really interesting idea, but I would rather see something about the space missions than coins about Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. Glad to hear they haven't forgotten the Sun (on the $50 coin).
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