Introduced into the United States House of Representatives on October 8, 1997, HR 2637 was the bill that would eventually be responsible for producing the Sacagawea Dollar coin. The bill was introduced by Delaware representative Mike Castle, and was signed into law on December 1, 1997 by President Bill Clinton.
The following is the complete text of the bill.
105th CONGRESS
1st Session
H.R. 2637
To provide for the minting and circulation of $1 coins, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 8, 1997
Mr. CASTLE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Banking and Financial Services.
A BILL
To provide for the minting and circulation of $1 coins, and for other purposes.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
- This Act may be cited as the `United States $1 Coin Act of 1997'.
SEC. 2. $1 COINS.
- (a) WEIGHT- Section 5112(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking `and weighs 8.1 grams'.
- (b) COLOR AND CONTENT- Section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
- (1) in the 1st sentence, by striking `dollar,'; and
- (2) by inserting after the 4th sentence the following new sentence: `The dollar coin shall be golden in color, have a distinctive edge, have tactile and visual features that make the denomination of the coin readily discernible, be minted and fabricated in the United States, and have similar metallic, anticounterfeiting properties as United States clad coinage in circulation on the date of the enactment of the United States $1 Coin Act of 1997.'.
- (c) DESIGN- Section 5112(d)(1) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking out the 5th and 6th sentences and inserting the following new sentence: `The obverse side of the dollar coin shall have a design depicting the Statue of Liberty.'.
- (d) PRODUCTION OF STATUE OF LIBERTY COINS-
- (1) IN GENERAL- Upon the depletion of the Government's supply (as of the date of the enactment of this Act) of $1 coins bearing the likeness of Susan B. Anthony, the Secretary of the Treasury shall place into circulation $1 coins which bear a design depicting the Statue of Liberty (and which otherwise comply with the requirements of subsections (b) and (d)(1) of section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, as amended by subsections (b) and (c) of this section).
- (2) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY TO CONTINUE PRODUCTION- If the supply of $1 coins bearing the likeness of Susan B. Anthony is depleted before production has begun of $1 coins which bear a design depicting the Statue of Liberty (and which otherwise comply with the requirements of subsections (b) and (d)(1) of section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, as amended by subsections (b) and (c) of this section), the Secretary of the Treasury may continue to mint and issue $1 coins bearing the likeness of Susan B. Anthony in accordance with such section 5112 (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act) until such time as such production begins.