Commems Collection Modern: 2026 Prime Minister Golda Meir - Possible? #03

Bill(s)

Companion Bills
- HR 987 (Introduced February 10, 2023; Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL))
- S1300 (April 26, 2023; Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD))

Short Title

- Prime Minister Golda Meir Commemorative Coin Act

Proposed Year of Issue

- 2026

Purpose

Recognition of:

(1) the 75th anniversary of the United States-Israel relationship;

(2) the first female Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Golda Meir; and

(3) the unique relationship Prime Minister Golda Meir had with the United States.


"Congress finds the following:

(1) Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir was born on May 3, 1898, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

(2) Prime Minister Golda Meir moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her family in 1906.

(3) Growing up in a time where women were not expected to receive an education and pursue a career, Prime Minister Golda Meir fought against the status quo and defied her parents by moving to Denver, Colorado to live with her sister.

(4) In 1921, Prime Minister Golda Meir emigrated with her husband to Mandatory Palestine where she worked as head of the Political Department of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, the chief Jewish liaison with the British, during World War II.

(5) When the State of Israel declared its independence in 1948, Prime Minister Golda Meir was a signer of its declaration of independence.

(6) Prime Minister Golda Meir served as the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel from 1969 to 1974.

(7) Prime Minister Golda Meir is remembered today as the first female Prime Minister of the State of Israel and a trailblazer for women's rights.

(8) Prime Minister Golda Meir is additionally remembered for the unique relationship she had with the United States and its people, evident by her adorning the cover of Time Magazine in 1969 and being voted by the people of the United States as Gallup's "Most Admired Woman" in 1971, 1973, and 1974."

Coins

- Up to 50,000 Gold $5 coins
- Up to 400,000 Silver $1 coins
- Up to 750,000 Clad Copper-Nickel $0.50 coins

Surcharges

- $5 coin: $35
- $1 coin: $10
- $0.50 coin: $5

Sponsor/Beneficiary

- Kiryat Sanz Laniado Hospital Inc.

Comments

In the modern era, it's not typical for the US to single out and honor foreign individuals on its coins, though Congress has authorized gold medals for such a purpose (three such examples are: in 1980, Kenneth Taylor the former Canadian Ambassador to Iran who had arranged to house and help six American diplomats escape from Iran after the US Embassy was overrun there in 1979; also in 1980, Simon Wiesenthal the Jewish-Austrian World War II holocaust survivor and subsequent War Criminal hunter for his efforts on behalf of international justice; and, in 1982, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in connection with the 200th anniversary of "friendship" (i.e., diplomatic and trade relations) between the US and the Netherlands. There have been others.

Being the subject of a Congressional Gold Medal award seems appropriate for foreign citizens who have played an important role in US/US-related history, being the primary subject of a US coin seems less so, IMO.

Likelihood of Passage?

The House bill currently has over 295 co-sponsors; the Senate bill has 74.

- Per GovTrack: <5% (as of date of this post)


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Possible? commemorative coin stories, see: Commems Collection.