Okay folks, here we go again. Congress is trying to pass a law that will require that we maintain Lincoln on the Cent. While I would love to see a four reverse coin in 2009, we do not need to push our will onto collectors 50 or 100 years from now with Lincoln. There are two bills in congress now. Both are very simular.
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 341
To provide for the redesign of the reverse of the Lincoln 1-cent coin
in 2009 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of
President Abraham Lincoln.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 10, 2005
Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Obama, Mr. Bayh, and Mr.
Lugar) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the redesign of the reverse of the Lincoln 1-cent coin
in 2009 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of
President Abraham Lincoln.
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 ``Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial 1-Cent
Coin Redesign Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, was one of the
Nation's greatest leaders, demonstrating true courage during
the Civil War, one of the greatest crises in the Nation's
history.
(2) Born of humble roots in Hardin County, Kentucky, on
February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln rose to the Presidency
through a combination of honesty, integrity, intelligence, and
commitment to the United States.
(3) With the belief that all men are created equal, Abraham
Lincoln led the effort to free all slaves in the United States.
(4) Abraham Lincoln had a generous heart, with malice
toward none and with charity for all.
(5) Abraham Lincoln gave the ultimate sacrifice for the
country he loved, dying from an assassin's bullet on April 15,
1865.
(6) All Americans could benefit from studying the life of
Abraham Lincoln, for Lincoln's life is a model for
accomplishing the ``American dream'' through honesty,
integrity, loyalty, and a lifetime of education.
(7) The year 2009 will be the bicentennial anniversary of
the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
(8) Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, grew to adulthood
in Indiana, achieved fame in Illinois, and led the nation in
Washington, D.C.
(9) The so-called ``Lincoln cent'' was introduced in 1909
on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, making the obverse
design the most enduring on the nation's coinage.
(10) President Theodore Roosevelt was so impressed by the
talent of
Victor David Brenner that the sculptor was chosen to
design the likeness of President Lincoln for the coin, adapting
a design from a plaque Brenner had prepared earlier.
(11) In the nearly 100 years of production of the ``Lincoln
cent'', there have been only 2 designs on the reverse: the
original, featuring 2 wheat-heads in memorial style enclosing
mottoes, and the current representation of the Lincoln Memorial
in Washington, D.C.
(12) On the occasion of the bicentennial of President
Lincoln's birth and the 100th anniversary of the production of
the
Lincoln Cent, it is entirely fitting to issue a series of
1-cent coins with designs on the reverse that are emblematic of
the 4 major periods of President Lincoln's life.
SEC. 3. REDESIGN OF
Lincoln Cent FOR 2009.
(a) In General.--During the year 2009, the Secretary of the
Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins in accordance with the following
design specifications:
(1) Obverse.--The obverse of the 1-cent coin shall continue
to bear the
Victor David Brenner likeness of President Abraham
Lincoln.
(2) Reverse.--The reverse of the coins shall bear 4
different designs each representing a different aspect of the
life of Abraham Lincoln, such as--
(A) his birth and early childhood in Kentucky;
(B) his formative years in Indiana;
(C) his professional life in Illinois; and
(D) his presidency, in Washington, D.C.
(b) Issuance of Redesigned Lincoln Cents in 2009.--
(1) Order.--The 1-cent coins to which this section applies
shall be issued with 1 of the 4 designs referred to in
subsection (a)(2) beginning at the start of each calendar
quarter of 2009.
(2) Number.--The Secretary shall prescribe, on the basis of
such factors as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, the
number of 1-cent coins that shall be issued with each of the
designs selected for each calendar quarter of 2009.
(c) Design Selection.--The designs for the coins specified in this
section shall be chosen by the Secretary--
(1) after consultation with the Abraham Lincoln
Bicentennial Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(2) after review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory
Committee.
SEC. 4. REDESIGN OF REVERSE OF 1-CENT COINS AFTER 2009.
The design on the reverse of the 1-cent coins issued after December
31, 2009, shall bear an image emblematic of President Lincoln's
preservation of the United States of America as a single and united
country.
SEC. 5. NUMISMATIC PENNIES WITH THE SAME METALLIC CONTENT AS THE 1909
PENNY.
The Secretary of the Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins in 2009 with
the exact metallic content as the 1-cent coin contained in 1909 in such
number as the Secretary determines to be appropriate for numismatic
purposes.
SEC. 6. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that the original Victor David
Brenner design for the 1-cent coin was a dramatic departure from
previous American coinage that should be reproduced, using the original
form and relief of the likeness of Abraham Lincoln, on the 1-cent coins
issued in 2009.
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Posted 02/25/2005 10:52 am
