Ronald Wilson Reagan (b. 1911; d. 2004) - The Great Communicator - proved to be one of the most popular US Presidents of the 20th Century; he served two terms in office - 1981-1985 and 1985-1989.
Ronald Reagan - Circa 1981
(Image Credit: Official Portrait. Public Domain.)The possibility of a coin to honor Reagan was first considered in the 110th Congress (2007-2008) when a bill to establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission was introduced in the House of Representatives by Elton Gallegly (R-CA). Among the Commission's duties outlined in the early draft of the bill was the consideration of if it would be "fitting and proper" to issue a $1 coin between February 6, 2010 and February 6, 2011 (Reagan was born on February 6, 1911.). This consideration was removed in later versions of the bill; the amended bill was approved in the House but not considered in the Senate.
The 111th Congress (2009-2010) and 112th Congress (2011-2012) each considered Ronald Reagan commemorative coin program proposals. Robert E. Latta (R-OH) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives in July 2009; it was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
The bill called for the striking of Gold Half Eagles (up to 50,000) and Silver Dollars (up to 300,000) in 2013.
Regarding the design of the coins, Latta's proposed legislation specified that the obverse design was to present an image of the former president, with the reverse to feature "an American eagle carrying an olive branch, flying above a nest containing another eagle and hatchlings." (Sounds similar to the reverse of the Type I Gold American Eagle bullion coins.)
Based on the bill's language, it's possible that the two coins could have shared a common design, though different interpretations of the specified themes were also possible.
The Gold Half Eagle was to carry a surcharge of $35 per coin; the Silver Dollar surcharge was set at $10 per coin. The sponsor/beneficiary of the coin program was the Army Emergency Fund, with surcharge proceeds to be paid to its Secretary "for the purposes of providing financial assistance to any of the following individuals:
"(1) An individual who is an Army active duty soldier, single or married, or a dependent of such a soldier.
"(2) A member of the Army National Guard or Army Reserve on continuous active duty under title 10, United States Code, for more than 30 consecutive days, or a dependent of such a member.
"(3) A soldier retired from active duty because of longevity or physical disability, including any Army National Guard or Army Reserve soldier who is in receipt of Army retired pay, or any authorized dependent of such soldier."
The bill did not move forward beyond its Committee referral. Representative Latta was back in the 112th Congress and introduced a slightly modified version of his Reagan coin bill in January 2011.
The new bill called for the same Gold Half Eagles (up to 50,000) and Silver Dollars (up to 300,000) as the previous bill, but now specified the coins were to be struck in 2017.
Other changes included:
a) A reference to Reagan's 100th birthday was to be included as part of the obverse design (Reagan portrait).
b) An additional group to be served by the surcharge proceeds was included:
"(4) A surviving spouse or dependent child of a soldier who died while on active duty or after retirement."
Latta's new bill fared little better than his previous, though the House Committee on Financial Services did refer it to its Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology. The bill was never reported out of Committee, however, and thus died for lack of action upon the adjournment of the 112th Congress.
So, efforts to honor the 40th US President failed as neither proposed commemorative coin bill was able to gain the needed traction in Congress. Reagan was honored in 2016, however, with the release of his Presidential $1 and its accompanying Coin and Chronicles Set.
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including other What If? stories from the classic and modern US commemorative series, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 03/04/2025 11:31 am
