Thirteenth Amendment Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue the following coins in commemoration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution (formally abolished slavery in the United States):
Requires such coins to be considered legal tender and numismatic items.
Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during the calendar year beginning January 1, 2016, except that sales may be initiated, without issuance, before such date.
Requires specified surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of such coins to be paid to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Directs the Secretary to ensure that: (1) the minting and issuing of such coins will not result in any net cost to the U.S. government; and (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are disbursed to the Museum until the total cost of designing and issuing all such coins is recovered by the Treasury.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2633 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2633
To require the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the
Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the adoption of the Thirteenth
Amendment to the United States Constitution, which officially marked
the abolishment of slavery in the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 9, 2013
Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois (for himself and Mr. Shimkus) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial
Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the
Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the adoption of the Thirteenth
Amendment to the United States Constitution, which officially marked
the abolishment of slavery in the United States.
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 ``Thirteenth Amendment Commemorative
Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The economic contributions of enslaved African
Americans to the American economy between 1691 and 1860 were
immeasurable. This labor force was used to build the
foundations upon which America stands today.
(2) From the 16th through the 19th centuries, most colonial
economies in the Americas were dependent on human-trafficking
and the use of enslaved African labor for their survival. This
included the North American mercantile and shipping sectors
that were dependent on slave-produced cotton, rice, sugar and
indigo, and the profits derived from triangular trade with the
West Indies, Africa, and Europe.
(3) Enslaved Africans in the United States were also
recognized as an important element in the political and
economic capital in the nation's political economy.
(4) Over the course of 246 years, slaves contributed an
estimated 605 billion hours of forced free labor, the gain from
which provided ``seed capital'' for the American economy,
helped finance the birth of American finance and industrial
sectors, contributed to the growth of most of the ``Fortune
500'' companies, and ultimately assisted the nation in
financing both world wars.
(5) During the Civil War, after Union forces repelled a
Confederate invasion at the battle of Antietam in 1862,
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation,
which declared that all slaves in states then in rebellion
would be ``forever free'' as of January 1, 1863. By his action,
Lincoln added a new and revolutionary dimension to the nation's
war aims: from being a conflict to preserve the Union, the
Civil War grew to be a crusade to end black slavery and fulfill
the promise of the Declaration of Independence.
(6) In the spring of 1864, Charles Sumner introduced an
anti-slavery amendment in the Senate, much like the amendments
that were introduced in the House by Representatives James
Ashley and James Wilson in December of 1863, which declared all
persons as equal, prohibited the slavery, and granted Congress
the power to enforce these provisions. After extensive debate,
the 13th Amendment was formed from this proposal, with the
omission of the declaration of equality of all persons, and
passed the Senate on April 8, 1864, by a vote of 38-6.
(7) Debates between abolitionists and supporters of slavery
focused on the moral issue of slavery and various
interpretations of ``natural law''. Representative John
Farnsworth of Illinois stated that ``the old fathers who made
the constitution believed that slavery was at war with the
rights of human nature'', and pointed out the contradiction
between the existence of inalienable rights and the institution
of slavery. Some members within the Republican Party, such as
Charles Sumner, sought an interpretation of the Constitution
that rejected slavery as incompatible with moral law.
(8) President Lincoln took an active role in promoting the
13th Amendment in Congress. He ensured that the Republican
Party's 1864 election platform included a provision supporting
a constitutional amendment to ``terminate and forever prohibit
the existence of Slavery''. His efforts were met with success
when the House passed the bill on January 31, 1865, with a vote
of 119-56.
(9) On February 1, 1865, Illinois became the first state to
ratify the proposed 13th Amendment; it was joined by 17 other
states by the end of the month. Georgia ratified on December 6,
1865, becoming the 27th of 36 states to approve the Amendment,
thus achieving the constitutional requirement that it be
ratified by three-fourths of the states. Secretary of State
William Seward declared the 13th Amendment to be part of the
Constitution on December 18.
(10) The Smithsonian National Museum of African American
History and Culture (hereafter referred to in this section as
the ``NMAAHC'') was established by an Act of Congress in 2003,
in Public Law 108-184.
(11) It is fitting that the NMAAHC receive the surcharges
from the sale of coins issued under this Act because the Museum
is devoted to the documentation of African American life, and,
among other areas, encompasses the period of slavery and the
era of Reconstruction.
(12) The surcharge proceeds from the sale of a
commemorative coin, which would have no net cost to the
taxpayers, would raise valuable funding to supplement the
endowment and educational outreach funds of the NMAAHC.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in
this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue the
following coins in commemoration of the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of
the passage of the 13th Amendment:
(1) $50 bi-metallic platinum and gold coins.--Not more than
250,000 $50 coins, which shall--
(A) have a weight, diameter, and thickness
determined by the Secretary; and
(B) contain platinum and .9167 pure gold.
(2) $20 gold coins.--Not more than 250,000 $20 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 33.931 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 32.7 millimeters; and
(C) contain .900 pure gold.
(3) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 500,000 $1 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 31.103 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 40.6 millimeters; and
(C) contain .999 fine silver.
(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 the 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.
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) In General.--The design of the coins minted under this Act
shall be emblematic of the Thirteenth Amendment and the abolishment of
slavery in America.
(b) Designation and Inscriptions.--On each coin minted under this
Act there shall be--
(1) a designation of the value of the coin;
(2) an inscription of the year ``1865-2015''; and
(3) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We
Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus Unum''.
(c) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act--
(1) shall be based on the economic contributions of
slavery, and include images of the pathway from slavery to
freedom;
(2) may include, on the $20 coins, that the design elements
be in high relief;
(3) may include, on the $50 coins--
(A) on the obverse, an illustration of Columbia or
similar figure representing Liberty, the female
representation of America; and
(B) on the reverse, a single eagle, and a set of
stars on one or both sides;
(4) shall be selected by the Secretary after consultation
with the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(5) shall be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory
Committee.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued
in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) Period of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted under
this Act only during the calendar year beginning January 1, 2016,
except that the Secretary may initiate sales of such coins, without
issuance, before such date.
(c) Minting in 2016.--Notwithstanding section 5112(d)(1) of title
31, United States Code, the Secretary may continue to mint the coins
under this Act in the year 2016.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sales 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 required under section 7(a) with respect
to such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing such coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins
issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders at a Discount.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such
coins.
(2) Discount.--Sales prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) Surcharge Required.--All sales of coins under this Act shall
include a surcharge of $10 per 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 paid by the Secretary to
the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
to carry out the purposes of the museum, which goes beyond simply
telling the history of African Americans, creating an opportunity for
anyone who cares about African American Culture a place to explore,
learn, and revel in the rich history of African American Culture.
(c) Audits.--The Smithsonian National Museum of African American
History and Culture 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. The Secretary of the Treasury may issue guidance to
carry out this subsection.
SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.
The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure
that--
(1) minting and issuing coins under this Act will not
result in any net cost to the United States Government; and
(2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are
disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7 until the
total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized
by this Act is recovered by the United States Treasury,
consistent with sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31,
United States Code.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
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