Commems Collection Modern: What If? 2022 Covid-19 Pandemic Support

In May 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic (the World Health Organization declared the pandemic in March 2020), Jack Bergman (R-MI) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that called for "coins in commemoration of the health care professionals, first responders, scientists, researchers, all essential workers, and individuals who provided care and services during the coronavirus pandemic." The bill was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

The bill sought a three-coin commemorative program: Gold Half Eagles (up to 50,000), Silver Dollars (400,000) and Copper-Nickel (CuNi) Clad Half Dollars (300,000). The bill allowed the Secretary of the Treasury to increase the program's mintage limits if public demand exceeded them.

As was/is often the case in the modern era, the bill included a "Findings" section to provide context for the coin request:

Congress finds the following:

(1) Health care professionals working with patients in person and via telehealth made incredible sacrifices, including to their own personal wellbeing, to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

(2) First responders and law enforcement upheld their responsibilities at great personal risk to keep our national and local communities safe and slow the spread of the coronavirus.

(3) Scientists and researchers, including at our Nation's research universities, worked tirelessly and in innovative ways to understand, prevent, and treat the coronavirus.

(4) Individuals and families bravely took on new burdens to care for loved ones impacted by the coronavirus.

(5) The dedication of countless workers in essential professions made possible the nationwide effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

(6) In the face of an unprecedented public health crisis, the citizens of the United States of America came together and supported the dedicated health care professionals and others on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill stated that the coin designs were to "be emblematic of the sacrifices made by health care workers and first responders during the coronavirus pandemic" as well as honor the sacrifices made by scientists and researchers who were in search of treatments.

The bill specified the then-standard surcharge amounts:

- $35 per Gold Half Eagle
- $10 per Silver Dollar, and
- $5 per Clad Half Dollar.

Collected surcharges were to be paid to "the CDC Foundation to support the health care response to infectious diseases and pandemics." If the program achieved a sell out, $7,250,000 in surcharges would have been collected.

The coins were to be dated and struck in 2022, with separate Mint facilities being used to produce either the Proof or Uncirculated versions of the coin; no facility could produce both versions.

The bill did not gain significant traction, and was not reported out of Committee or considered by the Whole House. In February 2021, during the 117th Congress, Representative Bergman re-introduced his coronavirus coin bill; it was a duplicate of his previous legislative proposal. It again stalled in the House Committee on Financial Services and went no further.

About a month later, in March 2021, Bergman introduced essentially a duplicate of his previous bills, but with an issue date change to 2024. It appears as if Representative Bergman had been informed that the two 2022 commemorative coin program slots had already been filled by the Negro Leagues Baseball and National Purple Heart Hall of Honor coin programs (both approved in December 2020). If he wanted his proposed COVID-19 coins to be eligible to generate/collect surcharges, he needed to reset his issue date expectations. The new bill, however, failed to gain approval.

Many individuals across the country (and globe!) worked tirelessly to develop vaccinations/treatments for the coronavirus and to support those in need due to COVID-19 during the pandemic, it would be fitting to formally recognize them in a tangible manner - at the Federal level - for their efforts. If not coins, then medals. I'm not saying the Federal Government should physically present a coin/medal to each of those who responded to the need, but I believe it should have made something available so that individuals/organizations/corporations who are connected to those who responded could purchase and present the pieces to those who sacrificed and risked their lives to help others.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including other What If? stories, see: Commems Collection.