H.R.1923 – Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, one of the final Numismatic related bills of the 116th Congress, has been signed into law by President Donald Trump. The Act offers some of the most sweeping changes to our circulating coinage and brings a list of changes to the Quarter Dollar, Half Dollar, Medal programs and bullion coins.
The entire text of H.R. 1923 Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 can be found here and on September 22, 2020 the bill passed the House of Representatives. It passed the Senate on December 17, 2020 and was presented to President Trump on January 1, 2021, who signed it on January 13, 2021. It is now Public Law No: 116-330.
Here are the highlights of the bill:
- Circulating Quarter Dollar honoring women to be issued from 2022 to 2025. There would be five coins each year, similar to the current America the Beautiful series currently in product and set to end next year.
- Multiple denominations in 2026 to celebrate the semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of the found of the United States of America.
- Circulating Quarter Dollar celebrating youth sports from 2027 to 2030. This would include multiple issues per year.
- Redesign of the Reverse of the Half Dollar celebrating sports performed by individuals with disabilities from 2027 to 2030.
- A medal program of the same designs of the circulating coins that celebrate youth sports and by sports by individuals with disabilities.
- Medal program for the 2028 Olympic Games that are to be held in Los Angeles, California.
- Silver bullion coins with the same designs of all the afore mentioned Quarter Dollar and Half Dollar from 2022 to 2030 in the 5-ounce size as well as “Fractional Sizes”
- “A unifying inscription, privy mark, or other symbol for that particular coin program” is authorized.
H.R. 1923 was originally introduced on March 27 2019 by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) and was focused on the centennial of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote in the United States. That legislative effort moved to a secondary bill which eventually was signed into law (Public Law 116–71) in November 2019 which is what authorized the Women’s Suffrage commemorative coins that were issued this year by the United States Mint.
The question now of the Act is when or if it will be signed. With the Inauguration of President-Elect Biden on January 20, 2021, it could wait until he is in office before it is signed.
Editors Note: Due to what some will perceive as a politically oriented article, comments have been disabled.