Commems Collection Questions: Answer #15 - Multi-Year Commemorative Coin Programs

nickelsearcher asked:


I'm expanding this question a bit to include the Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver-Booker T. Washington coin programs.

I have covered this topic for the individual coins across multiple posts, but rather than refer those interested in the question to multiple past posts, I decided to create a Q&A post to cover the common details in one place.

I will, however, suggest that a quick review of the following would be a good place for a baseline understanding of the coin programs and the discussion that follows:

- Quick Bits #38 - Multi-Year Programs

Each of the referenced programs benefited from large authorized mintage limits, no mint facility restrictions and open-ended language regarding coining authority limits in its enabling Act - the Public Laws for the Oregon Trail Memorial, Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial, Texas Independence Centennial and Arkansas Statehood Centennial coin programs did not include expiration dates! The BTW and GWC-BTW Laws did include expiration dates, but they were set well into the future (see below).

The Act for the Oregon Trail half dollars allowed the "Oregon Trail Memorial Association, Incorporated, to obtain such coins upon said payment, all at one time or at separate times, and in separate amounts, as it may determine."

The Act for the Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial coins states "the coins herein authorized shall be issued at par and only upon the request of the secretary of the Daniel Boone Bicentennial Commission."

The Act for the Texas Independence Centennial half dollars states "it shall be permissable for the said American Legion Texas Centennial Committee to obtain said coins upon said payment, all at one time or at separate times, and in separate amounts, as it may determine."

The Act for the Arkansas Statehood Centennial coins states: "The coins authorized by this Act shall be issued only to the Arkansas Honorary Centennial Celebration Commission, or its duly authorized agent, in such numbers, and at such times as they shall be requested by such Commission or any such agent."

Looking at these specifications in the coin Acts, it's clear the power to decide when and how many coins were to be issued was absolutely in the hands of the coin sponsors. And we all know what is said about "Absolute Power" and how it corrupts!

The four programs referenced are not the only ones to not include expiration provisions in their Acts; others included the 1918 Illinois Statehood Centennial half dollar, the 1920-21 Landing of the Pilgrims Tercentenary half dollar and the 1924 Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary half dollar - these are just a few examples. The four programs of focus here are, however, the only ones that turned the loopholes into a multi-year coin program with micro-mintage figures in years long past the event for which they were approved to help commemorate.

As noted above, the BTW and GWC-BTW Laws did include expiration dates, but they were set years into the future for each coin.

The Act for the BTW Birthplace Memorial half dollars states "The coins authorized herein shall be issued in such numbers, and at such times as shall be requested by the Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial and upon payment to the United States of the face value of such coins: Provided, That none of such coins shall be issued after the expiration of the five-year period immediately following the enactment of this Act." (emphasis added)

The Act for the BTW-George Washington Carver National Memorials coins stated "The coins authorized by the first section of this Act shall be issued in such numbers, and at such times, as shall be requested by the Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial and the George Washington Carver National Monument Foundation, and upon payment to the United States of the face value of such coins, except that none of such coins shall be issued after August 7, 1954." (emphasis added)


So, as long as the sponsor did not request a change to the design of an already-issued coin, it could continue to request annual coin releases from one or all US Mint facilities (another open-ended area in the Acts common to each of the subject coin programs) and the Mint would change the date on the coin to reflect the year it was struck - Mint policy, no specific language in the coin Acts needed.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more on each of the coins discussed here, see: Commems Collection.