The call became a lot louder this week for Breast Cancer Awareness coins in pink gold, silver and clad.
In July, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2722 in trying to recognize the fight against breast cancer with commemorative coins in 2018. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, bill S. 2185 was introduced in the Senate and it seeks the same coins for the same purpose.
"There is nothing in your life that can prepare you for the diagnosis of breast cancer — and as a survivor of this disease that has taken too many of our nation’s loved ones, I’m committed to battling this epidemic," Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) said on Tuesday. "Senator Ayotte (R-NH) and I introduced a bill that goes beyond politics, and seeks to build a stronger alliance with the hundreds of thousands of women each year that are diagnosed with breast cancer."
The language in both bills is almost identical. Should either pass in the House and Senate and get signed by the President, the United States Mint in 2018 would strike and sell up to 50,000 $5 pink gold coins, 400,000 silver dollars and 750,000 clad half-dollars.
Struck in collector qualities of proof and uncirculated, designs on the coins would be emblematic of the fight against breast cancer and be selected based on the winning design from a juried, compensated design competition. Design proposals could come from artists and engravers of the United States Mint as well as members of the public.
More intriguing, the $5 gold piece would mark the first U.S. pink coin. 18K pink gold is most often seen in specialized jewelry. The typical color is created with a mixture of 75% gold, 20% copper and 5% silver. Different copper levels change color intensities.
Sales prices for the commemorative coins would include surcharges of $35 per pink gold coin, $10 per silver dollar, and $5 per half-dollar. Provided the coins made a profit, collected funds would go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for the purpose of furthering research.
"By minting a commemorative coin to aid life-saving breast cancer research, and raise awareness about the need to beat this disease, we are letting the women and families who have faced breast cancer know they are not alone – that we’re in this fight together," Heitkamp added.
S. 2185 now has 8 cosponsors and awaits action in the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
