I previously posted about an unsuccessful proposal for a three-coin (Gold Half Eagle, Silver Dollar and Copper-Nickel Clad Half Dollar) commemorative program to honor women who had served in the US military. (Read it here:
What If? 1993 Women In Military Service - Part I.)
This post is about the second round of proposals for a Women in Military Service commemorative coin program, introduced in the 103rd Congress.
Overall, you might say the proposals for a Women in Military Service coin program were subject to a bit of "pruning" during their journey. In the 102nd Congress, a three-coin program (Gold, Silver and CuNi) was proposed. In the 103rd Congress, the initial proposals for a Women in Military Service coin program were trimmed to two-coin programs: Gold Half Eagle ($5) and Silver Dollar.
The first two-coin bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery (D-MS); the bill was introduced in April 1993. A "sort of" companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Frank H. Murkowski (R-AK). I say "sort of" because while the bills matched on their primary specifications, they did not match word-for-word in their language.
Each bill called for up to 50,000 Gold Half Eagles and up to 500,000 Silver Dollars; the Half Eagles were to have a surcharge of $40, the Silver Dollars $11. Each named the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation ("Foundation") as its sponsor/beneficiary and directed that collected surcharge funds be used for the "purpose of creating, endowing, and dedicating the Women in Military Service for America Memorial." (Just like the bills of the 102nd Congress.)
One difference between the House and Senate versions? The Senate bill continued the restrictive promotional approach outlined in the bills of the 102nd Congress - namely controlling the involvement of the Foundation in the coin's promotion/marketing - but the House bill did not include such language.
Each of the bills allowed coins to be sold/distributed beginning on November 1, 1993. The House bill set an expiration date for coining authority of December 31, 1994, the Senate bill set a "TBD" date for the same by stating: "Coins may not be minted under this Act after the date that is 1 year after the date on which the Secretary commences the issuing of coins."
Unlike the House bill, the Senate version did not explicitly state that the coins were to bear the "1993" date. As such, had the Senate version passed as written, it would have been possible that the two coins of the program could each have been produced with a "1993" and "1994" date - a two-year program!
The Senate bill was reported out of Committee, but did not progress in the Senate; the House bill was not reported. The Senate and House both moved on to a further-pruned Women in Military Service coin program proposal - such new legislation resulted in the 1994 silver dollar of which collectors are familiar.
The conclusion to the Women in Military Service commemorative coin story can be found here:
1994 Women in Military Service Silver Dollar.
Posted 08/01/2024 6:28 pm
