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Where Can I Find The Acts Of Congress For Older Coins?

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CoinNumi's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2020  11:02 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add CoinNumi to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I am currently doing some research on commemorative coins and want to read the Acts of Congress that approved the creation of specific coins. For example, I was able to go to the US Mint's web site and find a link to the Act of Congress for the Washington Statehood Quarters. The web site does not go very far back in history, unfortunately. Do you know where I could find the Acts of Congress that approved the following coins:

1909 Lincoln Penny
1921 Peace Silver Dollar
1932 Washington quarter
1938 Jefferson nickel
1948 Franklin half dollar
1959 Lincoln Penny
1946 Roosevelt dime
1776-1976 Bicentennial Quarter, JFK Half Dollar, & Eisenhower dollar
1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar
2000 Sacagawea dollar

Unfortunately, the ANA library is closed due to COVID-19. Does anyone have suggestions where I might this information?

Thanks.
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fortcollins's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2020  11:12 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add fortcollins to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
First,

All U.S. statutes are available online as published in the official Statutes at Large. You can find the statutory reference through any of the search engines. For example, the Act establishing the United States Mint is published as Chapter XVI of the Acts of the Second Congress, First Session, in 1792.

Edited by fortcollins
07/24/2020 11:13 am
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Alpha2814's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2020  11:29 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Alpha2814 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I find most of these on Wikipedia, but remember that not all of them required an Act of Congress. For example, for the Roosevelt dime (per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_dime): "As the Mercury design, first coined in 1916, had been struck for at least 25 years, it could be changed under the law by the Bureau of the Mint. No congressional action was required, though the committees of each house with jurisdiction over the coinage were informed."
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Bump111's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2020  11:43 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Bump111 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Commems is a good resource for stuff like this. I'll PM him and let him know about your request.
"Nummi rari mira sunt, si sumptus ferre potes." - Christophorus filius Scotiae
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CoinNumi's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2020  3:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add CoinNumi to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I have been reviewing the historical documents on https://www.usmint.gov/learn/histor...al-documents. I have not found any mention for the authorization for the 1909 Lincoln one-cent (for example).

My word searches at https://nnp.wustl.edu/ are also not effective. Congress, or a committee of congress, has to authorize coinage and the design. The older coins are proving to be very difficult to find. To my surprise, I have not found any discussion on the 1776-1976 bicentennial coins design, much less the authorization of the new design. Articles that are talking about a new design that has already been approved is not adequate.

I am now reviewing the acts of congress in the archives at https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statut...ongress.php. So far, I still have not found anything.

Any help would be appreciated. Many thanks.
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Alpha2814's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2020  3:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Alpha2814 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Again, I point you to Wikipedia. The article on Bicentennial coinage at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unite...nial_coinage gives you a fair amount of information, specifically the Authorization section mentions the bill S. 1141 -- search online for "S. 1141 bicentennial coins" and you'll get https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-...41?r=223401. The actual text of the bill is not there, but that is the bill that was signed (per the Actions tab there). You may find the text elsewhere given what you learn from this.

Similar to the Roosevelt dime, the 1909 Lincoln Cent did not require an Act of Congress -- per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent: "As the designs of those pieces had remained the same for 25 years, they could be changed without an act of Congress."

Edited for typo/clarity.
Edited by Alpha2814
07/24/2020 3:40 pm
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 Posted 07/24/2020  3:39 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add bzookaj to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
To my surprise, I have not found any discussion on the 1776-1976 bicentennial coins design, much less the authorization of the new design.

S. 1141, 93rd Congress.
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CoinNumi's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2020  5:24 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add CoinNumi to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Many thanks. I found the approval for 1971 Eisenhower dollar and the 1776-1976 bicentennial coins. I will be looking into the 1946 Roosevelt dime and the 1909 Lincoln Penny next.
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