Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the US Congress saw multiple bills introduced for commemorative coins to honor those who had died as a result. This is the third of three posts about these proposed contemporary numismatic tributes. The previous discussions can be found here:
- What If? 2002 Spirit Of America / Victims Of 9-11 Fund
- What If? 2002 True American Heroes / 9-11A fairly unusual coin proposal was introduced in the House or Representatives on March 14, 2002 by Steven R. Rothman (D-NJ) on behalf of himself and the bill's six co-sponsors - the bill proposed a circulating commemorative coin! The bill was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services, with a further referral to its Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy, Technology and Economic Growth.
At its introduction, Representative Rothman commented:
"A generation ago, the events of December 7th, 1941 became not only a day of infamy, but also a reference point that no one has forgotten. My father knows precisely where he was on that Sunday in December, just as I suspect nearly all Americans know what they were doing when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked."He continued,
"Events of cataclysmic proportion, as well as epic struggles, have long been commemorated on the coinage of various countries...Important historical personages, as well as historic events, have long been common on coinage. That's precisely the reason why the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York, a galvanizing event if ever there was one, deserves permanent memorialization on our nation's coinage.
"Striking such a coin would permanently memorialize, for all time, the event that occurred, and to offer some numismatic assurance that it will not be forgotten. It affords a permanent memorial to the more than 3,000 innocent victims--a tribute that they richly deserve."
He concluded his remarks with,
"Mr. Speaker, the events of September 11 call for a distinctive tribute to honor not only those who perished, but also those who remain. I believe that coinage, as it has been for thousands of years, is an appropriate response and urge prompt consideration of the bill introduced today."
Rothman's bill sought a circulating Half Dollar with an open-ended mintage; the bill specified the striking of "a sufficient number of half-dollar coins to circulate" with such a figure to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. Collector versions of the coin (Proof and Uncirculated) were also to be struck (up to 750,000 combined).
Regarding designs, the obverse was to depict the twin towers of the World Trade Center (prior to the attack), with the reverse depicting the Pentagon (prior to the attack) along with a reference to United flight 93 which crashed in Pennsylvania. In addition to the standard, legislated inscriptions - LIBERTY, E PLURIBUS UNUM and IN GOD WE TRUST and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - the obverse of the coin was also to feature FREEDOM as part of its design.
The coin bill included a pair of unusual aspects:
1. The coins were to be dated "2001" regardless of when struck. Considering the bill was introduced in 2002, and that coins could be struck through 2003, the bill guaranteed the Mint would have to go against policy and backdate the coins.
2. The coins were to bear a "W" mint mark regardless of which Mint actually struck the coins - use of any/all Mint facility/ies was/were authorized. (The "W" mint mark typically represents that the coin was struck at the West Point, NY facility of the US Mint.)
As noted above, in addition to the coins for circulation, up to 750,000 coins in Uncirculated and Proof were authorized. No coins, circulation or collector, were to be minted after December 31, 2003.
The bill was not reported out of Committee and was never considered by the House or Senate under any type of "suspension of the rules" request. So, the bid for a circulating commemorative coin for 9-11 failed.
It's not clear from the wording of the proposed legislation if the 9-11 Half Dollar would have temporarily replaced the
Kennedy half dollar or been issued for circulation along side it. My guess is that the 9-11 Half Dollar would have supplemented the Kennedy coin and the two would have been issued simultaneously. What are your thoughts?
For the tragic event's 10th Anniversary, Congress passed legislation authorizing the September 11th National Medal and the Mint struck Proof medals at West Point and Philadelphia - the medals will be the subject of a future post.
Last year, I posted about a pair of related September 11th coin bills. If interested, here's a link:
-
What If? 2001 / 2005 / 2006 Pentagon 9/11 MemorialFor more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including more What If? stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 02/15/2025 06:23 am
