Selena Commemorative Coin Act
The Selena Commemorative Coin Act would require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint three series of commemorative coins in honor of Selena Quintanilla: up to 50,000 five-dollar gold coins, up to 400,000 one-dollar silver coins, and up to 750,000 half-dollar clad coins. The coins would be minted with specific weight and size specifications, carry a 2029 inscription, and be legal tender. Designs must depict Selena and be chosen by the Secretary in consultation with a local museum group and reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Issuance would be limited to the calendar year 2029. Proceeds from surcharges on coin sales would fund the Friends of the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, including costs for operations and a Selena exhibit, with audits and federal cost-recovery requirements to ensure no net cost to taxpayers. The act also places limits on the number of commemorative programs per year and requires careful financial handling.
Key Points
- 1Mintage and denominations: up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, up to 400,000 $1 silver coins, and up to 750,000 half-dollar clad coins, with specified weights and sizes.
- 2Legal tender and numismatic treatment: coins remain legal tender but are treated as numismatic items for certain statutory purposes.
- 3Design and issuance: designs emblematic of Selena, with at least one obverse featuring Selena; year inscribed as 2029; Secretary to select designs after consulting a local museum group and with review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee; issued only in 2029 in both uncirculated and proof qualities.
- 4Sales and surcharges: coins sold at price including face value, a per-coin surcharge, and issuance costs; bulk sales and prepaid orders allowed with discounts; surcharges allocated to the Friends of the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History for operations and a Selena exhibit.
- 5Financial safeguards and oversight: no net cost to the federal government; surcharges restricted by an annual limit on commemorative programs; subject to audits and federal cost-recovery requirements prior to disbursing funds to recipients.