Commems Collection Modern: What If? 1995 American Museum Of Natural History 125th Anniversary

In November 1993, in the House of Representatives ("House"), during the First Session of the 103rd United States ("US") Congress, Jerold Lewis Nadler (D-NY) - for himself and Carolyn Bosher Maloney (D-NY) - introduced a commemorative Silver Dollar bill that required "the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the American Museum of Natural History."

Note: The Museum was the creative inspiration for the movie A Night at the Museum{/i] starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams and others. Here's a link to the Museum's exhibits related to the movie characters: American Museum of Natural History Movie Exhibits.)

The bill did not include a "Findings" section that provided background on the Museum, but, from the Museum's web site:

"Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition.

Our mission: To discover, interpret, and disseminate—through scientific research and education—knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe."

The bill called for the striking of up tp 600,000 Silver Dollars of standard US specifications (i.e., 1.5 inches in diameter, a weight of 26.73 grams and a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper) during Calendar Year 1995, to be dated "1995" and available in Proof and Uncirculated qualities.

The bill included highly unusual design language, namely: "emblematic of a prehistoric dinosaur." (You just don't often see a "dinosaur" reference specified in a US coin bill!.) Also, the coin's design was to include "a view of the east front (located on Central Park West in New York City) of the American Museum of Natural History." The standard US coinage inscriptions were also to be included.

The final designs for the coin were to be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury, after consulting with the licensing and marketing manager of the Museum and the Commission of Fine Arts, The Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee was to serve in a design review capacity..

Reconstructed Tyrannosaurus Rex at American Museum of Natural History

(Image Source: American Museum of Natural History, Library & Archives], Fair use, education.)

East Entrance of American Museum of Natural History in New York

[i](Image Source: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Public Domain.)

The Issue Price of the Silver Dollar was to include a surcharge of $10.00 per coin. Collected surcharges were to be paid to the Budgetary Fund of the Museum - a specific use of the surcharge funds by the Museum was not specified in the proposed legislation.

As with other modern US commemorative coins, the Silver Dollars were to be produced, marketed and distributed at "No Net Cost to the Government." It's unclear from the bill's language how this provision could impact surcharge distribution if the coin's sales volume was low - the modern series' surcharge reform legislation had not yet been enacted at the time.

Upon its introduction, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs with a further referral to its Subcommittee on Consumer Credit and Insurance. The bill did not move beyond the Committee.

With a dinosaur design, I think this Silver Dollar had the potential to pull in a youthful collecting audience. It's too bad, IMO, that it didn't come to fruition - it could've been fun!.


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