Commems Collection Classic: Medals Vs. Coins - 1937 Attempt

A quick follow-up to a previous discussion...

I previously posted about attempts by the President and Treasury Department to convince Congress to abandon commemorative coins, and authorize commemorative medals instead. (You can read about the 1935 efforts by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Treasury here: Medals Vs. Coins.)

Another attempt to replace commemorative coins with medals was made in 1937 - it followed the banner commemorative coin year of 1936 (20+ commemorative coin issues).

In March 1937 - 75th Congress, First Session - Senator Alva Blanchard Adams (D-CO) introduced a bill that essentially duplicated the bills of 1935. It called for the "striking of medals, in lieu of coins, for commemorative purposes" and contained the same Treasury Department-inspired language regarding design uniformity for circulation coinage, easier detection of counterfeit coins without commemorative coins and avoidance of public confusion via "special issues of commemorative coins."

Upon its introduction, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency. Unlike in 1935, the Senate Committee did not report the bill and the Senate did not take it up for consideration. The bill/concept found even less support in 1937 than previous attempts did in 1935. IMO, it was again a case of Congress wanting to keep its commemorative options open regarding coins as it recognized coins were more commercially viable and, thus, more desirable to sponsors (their constituents).

Though the bill failed, the continued pressure exerted by the Treasury Department against commemorative coins began to have a significant impact, as nearly all new coin proposals introduced in 1937 and beyond failed to receive Congressional authorization. Consider the bill a signal for what was to come. In 1939, the re-issue of coins from previously-approved coin programs was outlawed which cut the number of new coins released and helped improve the field for coin collectors. The times, they were a changin'.


For other follow-up actions by Congress, see:

- Regulating US Commemorative Coins - 1939
- Medals Vs. Coins - 1947 Attempt


For more of my stories about commemorative coins and medals, see: Commems Collection.