Commemorative coin legislation was reintroduced in the House of Representatives on July 1, 2010, that would honor the 225th anniversary of the founding of the US Marshals Service with a one ounce high-relief $5 gold coin and a standard sized silver dollar.
The U.S. Marshals Service was the first law enforcement agency in America. President George Washington appointed the first 13 U.S. Marshals on Sept. 24, 1789, which was two days after he signed the Judiciary Act of 1789 into law. Since then, US Marshals have served the Nation in varying capacities with distinction and honor.
The United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, H.R. 5680, was again brought forward by Rep. John Boozman of Arkansas, who introduced nearly identical legislation on June 10, 2009 that was numbered H.R. 2799.
The new bill contains the same unique characteristics as the older one, with slight variations such as the coin inscriptions "2014-2015" instead of "2014", and increased mintages.
H.R. 5680 calls for a high-relief, edge incused $5 gold coin with a maximum mintage of 142,000. The bill’s language dictates that each would weigh 33.931 grams, have a diameter of 32.7 millimeters and contain 1 troy ounce of fine gold. Those specifications are the dimensions of current $50 gold pieces, like the American Gold Eagle. The coin’s edge would feature the United States Marshals Service motto of ‘Justice, Integrity, Service’. Its reverse design:
"Shall bear a design emblematic of the sacrifice and service of the men and women of the United States Marshals Service who lost their lives in the line of duty."
The silver dollar would feature the typical aspects and specifications of modern silver commemoratives, with the exception of an edge-incused motto. No specifics were provided for its reverse design. It would have an authorized maximum mintage of 503,000.
Additionally, the legislation states:
"The images for the designs of coins issued under this Act shall be selected on the basis of the realism and historical accuracy of the images and on the extent to which the images are reminiscent of the dramatic and beautiful artwork on coins of the so-called ‘Golden Age of Coinage’ in the United States, at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, with the participation of such noted sculptors and medallic artists as James Earle Fraser, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Victor David Brenner, Adolph A. Weinman, Charles E. Barber, and George T. Morgan."
Both coins would be minted in proof and uncirculated qualities, have a public issuance time of on or after September 24, 2014, the 225th anniversary date of the United States Marshals Service, through to December 31, 2015. Current, former and retired employees of the service would have "an exclusive, defined period of time to place prepaid orders" at a discount.
As is typical with modern commemoratives coins, each gold coin would include a surcharge of $35 and each silver dollar a surcharge of $10. The first $5 million collected would be made available to the U.S. Marshals Service National Museum located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. $1 million each would go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. $500,000 each would be distributed to the William ‘Bill’ Degan Scholarship Fund, the Robert D. May Scholarship Fund, the Community Oriented Policing Service, and the United States Marshals Service Association.
H.R. 5680 also provides for bronze duplicates of the $5 gold coin to be sold.
For coin legislation to become law, it must pass in both the House and Senate, and get signed by the President. There is a current version of the US Marshals’ bill, S. 2106, already in the Senate. It was introduced by Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas on October 29, 2009, and is currently before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
