Commems Collection Modern: 2004 Lewis And Clark Bicentennial - 105th Congress

I've posted about items/sets associated with the 2004 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Silver Dollar, but hadn't yet focused on the Dollar itself. This post addresses that.

If you'd like to explore other aspects of the coin's story, see:

- 2004 Lewis & Clark Coinage & Currency Set
- 2004 Lewis & Clark Philatelic-Numismatic Cover (PNC)
- 2004 Discovering The Legacy Of Lewis & Clark

The journey for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Silver Dollar began in May 1997, when Doug Bereuter (R-NE) introduced a coin bill in the House of Representatives that called for a two-coin program - Silver Dollar (up to 200,000) and Silver Half Dollar (up to 200,000). The bill was referred to the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services.

The bill included a brief, but informative, "Findings" section that provided historical background on the Lewis and Clark Expedition:

The Congress finds that--

(1) the expedition commanded by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, which came to be called ``The Corps of Discovery'', was one of the most remarkable and productive scientific and military exploring expeditions in all American history;

(2) President Thomas Jefferson gave Lewis and Clark the mission to "explore the Missouri River & such principal stream of it, as, by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado, or any other river may offer the most direct and practical water communication across this continent for the purposes of commerce'';

(3) the Expedition, in response to President Jefferson's directive, greatly advanced our geographical knowledge of the continent and prepared the way for the extension of the American fur trade with American Indian tribes throughout the land;

(4) President Jefferson directed the explorers to take note of and carefully record the natural resources of the newly acquired territory known as Louisiana, as well as diligently report on the native inhabitants of the land;

(5) the Expedition departed St. Louis, Missouri on May 14, 1804;

(6) the Expedition held its first meeting with American Indians at Council Bluff near present-day Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, in August 1804, spent its first winter at Fort Mandan, North Dakota, crossed the Rocky Mountains by the mouth of the Columbia River in mid-November of that year, and wintered at Fort Clatsop, near the present-day city of Astoria, Oregon;

(7) the Expedition returned to St. Louis, Missouri, on September 23, 1806, after a 28-month journey covering 8,000 miles during which it traversed 11 future States: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon;

(8) accounts from the journals of Lewis and Clark and the detailed maps that were prepared by the Expedition enhance knowledge of the western continent and routes for commerce;

(9) the Expedition significantly enhanced amicable relationships between the United States and the autonomous American Indian nations, and the friendship and respect fostered between American Indian tribes and the Expedition represents the best of diplomacy and relationships between divergent nations and cultures; and

(10) the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been called the most perfect expedition of its kind in the history of the world and paved the way for the United States to become a great world power.

No design details were included in the legislation other than the generic "shall be emblematic of the expedition of Lewis and Clark." One interesting design element that was specified, however, involved the coins' dates. Each of the two coins was to bear the dual date of "1804-1806" but no 20th Century issue date was specified. However, as the bill did include provisions that restricted the Mint's authority to strike the coins only to 2003, it seems likely the coins would have featured "2003" in addition to "1804-1806".

The issue price of the Silver Dollar was to include a $10 surcharge per coin; $7 surcharge per Half Dollar.

Collected surcharge funds were to be split between the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council (two thirds) "for activities associated with commemorating the bicentennial of the Expedition" and the National Park Service (one third) "for activities associated with commemorating the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition."

The bill passed the House and was sent to the Senate for its consideration. In the Senate, the bill was amended to include authorization for Congressional Gold Medals to be awarded to the "Little Rock Nine" along with Gerald and Betty Ford. The bill was returned to the House, which did not support the Senate medals amendment and replaced it with an amendment for a Leif Ericsson Millenium Commemorative Coin. The House passed its amended bill, which was then sent to the Senate for concurrence. The differences between each chamber's amendments were not resolved, however, and the bill stalled in October 1998.

While the bill was being amended and debated, in June 1998, Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) introduced a coin bill in the Senate. The bill duplicated the previous House bill's "Findings" and coin provisions without reference to any Congressional Gold Medals or a Leif Ericsson Commemorative Coin program. After its referral to the Senate Committee on Banking, it stalled as Congress' attention was directed toward the House bill and its amendments (as described above).

Neither bill introduced in the 105th Congress was approved by the time it adjourned - the 106th Congress would have to be the "charm!"

2004 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Silver Dollar



Check out the actions of the 106th Congress here:

- 2004 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial - 106th Congress


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, see: Commems Collection.