As issued, collectors are familiar with the 2018 Breast Cancer Awareness commemorative coin program that includes a Gold Half Eagle, a Silver Dollar and a Copper-Nickel ("CuNi") Clad Half Dollar. But an alternate coin program was initially proposed in Congress.
Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), in December 2013, during the 113th Congress, introduced a bill in the House of Representatives ("House") that called for the striking of up to 500,000 Silver Dollars "in recognition of the fight against breast cancer."
In introducing the coin bill, Representative Maloney made an impassioned plea to her colleagues for support: "last month we recognized Breast Cancer Awareness Month--acknowledging the toll the disease takes on individuals and families, and the importance of continued research and awareness efforts. Since 1989, thanks to earlier detection, increased understanding, and improved treatment, the death rates for breast cancer have continued to decrease. Yet breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in women, with one in 36 women dying from the disease. While breast cancer used to be considered a disease of aging, recent trends show that more aggressive forms of the disease have been increasingly diagnosed in younger women. Just this year, it is estimated that 232,340 women will be diagnosed with and 39,620 women will die of cancer of the breast in the United States."
Maloney continued her introductory comments with topics that were included in the bill's lengthy "Findings" section. After her comments, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
The bill's "Findings" section:
"The Congress finds the following:
"(1) Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. Today, about 1 in 8, or 12 percent of, women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. This is an increase from 1 in 11, or 9 percent of, women in 1975.
"(2) Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 36. Thanks to earlier detection, increased awareness, and improved treatment, death rates from breast cancer have decreased since about 1989.
"(3) There is a strong interest among the American public to do more to tackle this disease. The National Cancer Institute estimates $16.5 billion is spent in the United States each year on breast cancer treatment.
"(4) Finding a cure for breast cancer is a goal of the United States Government.
"(5) The National Institutes of Health dedicated $800 million for breast cancer research in Fiscal Year 2012. In Fiscal Year 2012, the Department of Defense's Breast Cancer Research Program received $120 million. In total, the U.S. is projected to spend $925 million on breast cancer research in Fiscal Year 2013.
"(6) While the Federal Government remains the largest funder of breast cancer research in the United States, in 2012, the National Cancer Institute reduced funding by almost $30 million and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program grants decreased more than 22 percent from 2010 funding levels.
"(7) Additional private sector support for breast cancer research will help us find a cure for breast cancer even faster.
"(8) It is estimated that in the United States 232,340 women will be diagnosed with and 39,620 women will die of cancer of the breast in 2013. This means that every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer in the United States.
"(9) However, due to disease type and lack of adequate care, Black women have the highest death rates of all racial and ethnic groups and are 40 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than White women.
"(10) Breast cancer used to be considered a disease of aging but recent trends show that more aggressive forms of the disease have been increasingly diagnosed in younger women.
"(11) Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among nearly every racial and ethnic group, including African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latina women.
"(12) Clinical advances, resulting from research, have led to increased survival from breast cancer. Since 1990, death rates from breast cancer have dropped over 30 percent.
"(13) Among men in the United States it is estimated that there will be 2,240 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 410 breast cancer deaths in 2013.
"(14) At this time there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
"(15) It is estimated that breast cancer costs $12.5 billion in lost productivity. Such productivity losses will increase with projected growth rate and aging of the U.S. population if cancer mortality rates stay constant in the future.
"(16) There is a better chance of survival and there are more treatment options with early stage detection through mammograms and clinical breast exams.
"(17) Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, with an estimated 1.6 million new cases of breast cancer among women worldwide in 2010.
"(18) Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is considered one of the most efficient research charities.
"(19) Of every dollar donated to BCRF, $0.91 goes to research and awareness programs—88 cents towards research and 3 cents towards awareness.
"(20) Founded in 1993, the BCRF has raised more than $450 million to fund research aimed at achieving prevention of breast cancer and curing those with the disease. For 2013-2014, BCRF awarded $45 million in grants to support the work of more than 200 researchers at major medical institutions across six continents and 12 countries.
"(21) Susan G. Komen for the Cure includes funded research in 48 of the 50 States and community services in 49 of the 50 States. The organization has also supported programming in more than 30 countries.
"(22) Over the past 5 years, more than 80 cents of every dollar spent by Susan G. Komen has gone directly to its mission to save lives and end breast cancer by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.
"(23) Since its inception in 1982, Susan G. Komen has invested more than $2 billion on its mission of saving lives and ending breast cancer by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures, including more than $790 million in research funding.
"(24) Today, the BCRF and Susan G. Komen continue their work to advance research and support programs for patients and their families."Though "rich" in Findings, the bill did not provide extensive design requirements. Instead, it included just general "emblematic of the fight against breast cancer" language/guidance.
One potential reason for the bill not providing significant design details was likely the fact that it included provisions for an open design competition and Maloney did not want to limit the creativity of the potential artist/designer. US Mint consulting artists, Mint engravers and members of the general public were all eligible to submit ideas/drawings/models to the competition - three-dimensional models were encouraged.
Judging of the competition was to be handled by a panel of three members from the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and three members from the Commission of Fine Arts. Each group was to select its members for the panel.
While the Secretary of the Treasury maintained ultimate authority over design selection, the bill stated that the winning design of the competition was to be the basis of any design selection. The artist of the winning entry was to be awarded a prize of no less than $5,000.
The Silver Dollars, to be available in Proof and Uncirculated qualities, were to bear the date "2018" and be issued only during Calendar Year 2018.
The Issue Price for each coin was to include a surcharge of $10, with collected surcharges being paid via a split distribution model:
- 50% to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Dallas, Texas, to support the research it funds
- 50% to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, New York, New York, to support the research it funds
Had the bill been approved and the program sold out of its Silver Dollars, each of the organizations stood to receive $2.5 million to support its research projects.
The bill did not move forward, however, and died for lack of action in the 113th Congress. An expanded proposal was introduced by Representative Maloney in the 114th Congress, however. It resulted in the three-coin program familiar to today's modern US commemorative coin collectors.
The US' first-ever use of a rose gold composition (i.e., 85 % gold, 14.8% copper, and 0.2% zinc) for the Gold Half Eagle coin made for a much more novel program than one featuring just another standard composition Silver Dollar! The failure of Maloney's 113th Congress bill could be considered a good thing for collectors!
Note: Maloney's 114th Congress version of the coin bill maintained the design competition provisions - the competition was won by Emily Damstar (US Mint Artistic Infusion Program member).For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more "What If?" stories, see:
Commems Collection
Posted 02/25/2026 09:52 am
