Gold, silver and clad coins would be issued in 2017 in commemoration of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor if a newly proposed bill gets passed into law.
H.R. 3867, entitled the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) on Jan. 14, 2014. The bill currently shows moderate support with 17 cosponsors.
If the proposed legislation became law, a maximum of 50,000 gold coins, 400,000 silver dollars and 750,00 clad half-dollar coins would be released with designs emblematic of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. The Hall is located at the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site in New York’s Hudson River Valley.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to those who selflessly sacrificed in defense of our freedom, and we must continue to honor the memory of all those who fought for our nation. Right here in the Hudson Valley, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor works every day to preserve the important stories of those who have bravely served," said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, son of a Navy Veteran.
The Hall, found online at www.thepurpleheart.com, opened on Nov. 10, 2006 with a mission to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients. These stories are preserved and shared through exhibits and videotaped interviews of the veterans themselves, along with an interactive computer program known as the Roll of Honor which details recipient stories.
"I want to thank Rep. Maloney for his dedication to our wounded veterans and for helping the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor raise the revenue needed to continue to commemorate the extraordinary sacrifices made by our service men and women," said Andrew Komonchak, Executive Director of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc.
Of particular note in the legislation, all coins of the commemorative program would get struck at United States Mint facility in West Point. Other specifications would remain consistent with modern day commemorative coins.
Surcharges would be collected on the sale of each in the amount of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver dollar and $5 per half-dollar. Collected funds would be paid to the Secretary to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., to help finance the construction of a new building and renovation of existing National Purple Heart Hall of Honor facilities.
For any proposed legislation to become law, it must pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the President of the United States.
