# § 5111. Minting and issuing coins, medals, and numismatic items
**(a)** The Secretary of the Treasury—
**(1)** shall mint and issue coins described in section 5112 of this title in amounts the Secretary decides are necessary to meet the needs of the United States;
**(2)** may prepare national medal dies and strike national and other medals if it does not interfere with regular minting operations but may not prepare private medal dies;
**(3)** may prepare and distribute numismatic items; and
**(4)** may mint coins for a foreign country if the minting does not interfere with regular minting operations, and shall prescribe a charge for minting the foreign coins equal to the cost of the minting (including labor, materials, and the use of machinery).
**(b)** The Department of the Treasury has a coinage metal fund and a coinage profit fund. The Secretary may use the coinage metal fund to buy metal to mint coins. The Secretary shall credit the coinage profit fund with the amount by which the nominal value of the coins minted from the metal exceeds the cost of the metal. The Secretary shall charge the coinage profit fund with waste incurred in minting coins and the cost of distributing the coins, including the cost of coin bags and pallets. The Secretary shall deposit in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts excess amounts in the coinage profit fund.
**(c)** **Procurements Relating to Coin Production.—**
**(1)** **In general.—** The Secretary may make contracts, on conditions the Secretary decides are appropriate and are in the public interest, to acquire articles, materials, supplies, and services (including equipment, manufacturing facilities, patents, patent rights, technical knowledge, and assistance) necessary to produce the coins referred to in this title.
**(2)** **Domestic control of coinage.—**
**(A)** Subject to subparagraph (B), in order to protect the national security through domestic control of the coinage process, the Secretary shall acquire only such articles, materials, supplies, and services (including equipment, manufacturing facilities, patents, patent rights, technical knowledge, and assistance) for the production of coins as have been produced or manufactured in the United States unless the Secretary determines it to be inconsistent with the public interest, or the cost to be unreasonable, and publishes in the Federal Register a written finding stating the basis for the determination.
**(B)** Subparagraph (A) shall apply only in the case of a bid or offer from a supplier the principal place of business of which is in a foreign country which does not accord to United States companies the same competitive opportunities for procurements in connection with the production of coins as it accords to domestic companies.
**(3)** **Determination.—**
**(A)** **In general.—** Any determination of the Secretary referred to in paragraph (2) shall not be reviewable in any administrative proceeding or court of the United States.
**(B)** **Other rights unaffected.—** This paragraph does not alter or annul any right of review that arises under any provision of any law or regulation of the United States other than paragraph (2).
**(4)** Nothing in paragraph (2) of this subsection in any way affects the procurement by the Secretary of gold and silver for the production of coins by the United States Mint.
**(d)**
**(1)** The Secretary may prohibit or limit the exportation, melting, or treatment of United States coins when the Secretary decides the prohibition or limitation is necessary to protect the coinage of the United States.
**(2)** A person knowingly violating an order or license issued or regulation prescribed under paragraph (1) of this subsection, shall be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
**1** Coins exported, melted, or treated in violation of an order or license issued or regulation prescribed, and metal resulting from the melting or treatment, shall be forfeited to the United States Government. The powers of the Secretary and the remedies available to enforce forfeitures are those provided in part II of subchapter C of chapter 75 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 [^1] (26 U.S.C. 7321 et seq.).
See References in Text note below.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 980; Pub. L. 100–274, § 3, Mar. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 49; Pub. L. 102–390, title II, § 222, Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1629.)
| Revised Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5111(a)(1) | 31:272. | R.S. § 3503. |
| | 31:275. | R.S. § 3509; Aug. 23, 1912, ch. 350, § 1(last par. words before 7th comma under heading “Assay Office at Salt Lake City, Utah”), 37 Stat. 384. |
| | 31:322. | R.S. § 3516. |
| | 31:342. | June 4, 1897, ch. 2, § 1(1st par. under heading “Recoinage, Reissue, and Transportation of Minor Coins”), 30 Stat. 27. |
| | 31:345. | R.S. § 3532; Aug. 23, 1912, ch. 350, § 1(last par. words before 7th comma under heading “Assay Office at Salt Lake City, Utah”), 37 Stat. 384. |
| | 31:353. | R.S. § 3540; Aug. 23, 1912, ch. 350, § 1(last par. words before 7th comma under heading “Assay Office at Salt Lake City, Utah”), 37 Stat. 384. |
| | 31:391(a). | July 23, 1965, Pub. L. 89–81, § 101(a), 79 Stat. 254; restated Dec. 31, 1970, Pub. L. 91–607, § 201, 84 Stat. 1768. |
| 5111(a)(2) | 31:368. | R.S. § 3551; Aug. 23, 1912, ch. 350, § 1(last par. words before 7th comma under heading “Assay Office at Salt Lake City, Utah”), 37 Stat. 384. |
| 5111(a)(3) | 31:324h. | Oct. 18, 1973, Pub. L. 93–127, § 5, 87 Stat. 456. |
| 5111(a)(4) | 31:367. | Jan. 29, 1874, ch. 19, 18 Stat. 6. |
| 5111(b) | 31:340. | R.S. § 3528; Apr. 24, 1906, ch. 1861, 34 Stat. 132; Dec. 2, 1918, ch. 1, 40 Stat. 1051; Aug. 14, 1937, ch. 631, 50 Stat. 647; June 21, 1941, ch. 213, 55 Stat. 255; June 30, 1954, ch. 427, 68 Stat. 336; July 9, 1956, ch. 535, § 1, 70 Stat. 518; restated July 23, 1965, Pub. L. 89–81, § 206(a), 79 Stat. 256. |
| 5111(c) | 31:393(a). | July 23, 1965, Pub. L. 89–81, §§ 103(a), 105, 106, 79 Stat. 255. |
| 5111(d) | 31:395, 396. | |
In subsection (a)(1), the words “coins described in” are substituted for “coins of the denominations set forth in” in 31:391(a) because of the restatement. The text of 31:253, 272, and 345(1st sentence) is omitted as superseded by the source provisions restated in section 321(c) of the revised title. The text of 31:275, 322, 342, 345(last sentence), and 353 is omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement.
In subsection (a)(2), the words “Secretary of the Treasury” are substituted for “engraver” and “superintendent of coining department of the mint at Philadelphia” because of the source provisions restated in section 321(c) of the revised title. The words “under such regulations as the superintendent, with the approval of the Director of the Mint, may prescribe” are omitted as unnecessary because of section 321(b) of the revised title. The words “national medal dies” are substituted for “Dies of a national character” for clarity. The words “or the machinery or apparatus thereof be used for that purpose” are omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement.
In subsection (a)(3), the words “numismatic items” are retained and used throughout the revised title to apply to medals, proof coins, uncirculated coins, numismatic accessories, and other numismatic items to eliminate unnecessary words and for consistency. The words “In connection with the operations of the Bureau of the Mint” are omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement. The text of 31:324h(last sentence) is omitted as unnecessary because of the source provisions restated in section 5132(a) of the revised title.
In subsection (a)(4), the words “may mint” are substituted for “It shall be lawful for coinage to be executed” in 31:367, and the words “regular minting operations” are substituted for “required coinage of the United States”, for consistency in the revised section. The words “at the mints of the United States” and “according to the legally prescribed standards and devices of such country” are omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement. The words “The Secretary of the Treasury . . . shall prescribe a charge” are substituted for “the charge . . . to be fixed by the Director of the Mint, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury” because of the source provisions restated in section 321(c) of the revised title. The words “minting the foreign coins” are substituted for “the same”, for clarity. The words “under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe” are omitted as unnecessary because of section 321(b) of the revised title.
In subsection (b), the first sentence is added for clarity and because of the restatement. The words “amount by which the nominal value of the coins minted from the metal exceeds the cost of the metal” are substituted for “gain arising from the coinage of metals purchased out of such fund into coin of a nominal value exceeding the cost of such metals” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “The Secretary shall deposit in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts excess amounts in the coinage profit fund” are substituted for “such sums as shall from time to time be transferred therefrom to the general fund of the Treasury” for clarity and for consistency in the revised title.
In subsection (c), the words “metallic strip” are omitted as being included in “materials”, and the word “terms” is omitted as being included in “conditions”.
In subsection (d)(1), the words “prohibit or limit” are substituted for “prohibit, curtail, or regulate” because of the restatement and to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “prohibition or limitation” are substituted for “such action” because of the restatement. The words “under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe” are omitted as unnecessary because of section 321(b) of the revised title.
In subsection (d)(2), the word “person” is substituted for “Whoever” for consistency in the revised title.
In subsection (d)(3), the words “and his delegates” are omitted as unnecessary because of the power of the Secretary to delegate under section 321(b) of the revised title. The word “remedies” is substituted for “judicial and other remedies available to the United States” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “of property subject to forfeiture pursuant to subsection (a) of this section” and “for the enforcement of forfeitures of property subject to forfeiture under any provision of title 26” are omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement.
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
The Internal Revenue Code of 1954, referred to in subsec. (d)(3), was redesignated the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by , , , and is classified generally to Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.
### Amendments
1992—Subsec. (b). inserted “, including the cost of coin bags and pallets” after “distributing the coins” in fourth sentence.
1988—Subsec. (c). inserted heading and amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: “The Secretary may make contracts on conditions the Secretary decides are appropriate and in the public interest to acquire equipment, manufacturing facilities, patents, patent rights, technical knowledge and assistance, and materials necessary to produce rapidly an adequate supply of coins referred to in section 5112(a)(1)–(4) of this title.”
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Termination of Coinage Profit Fund and Coinage Metal Fund
All assets and liabilities of Coinage Profit Fund and Coinage Metal Fund transferred to United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund and both coinage funds to cease to exist as separate funds as their activities and functions are subsumed under and subject to United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, see .
### Commemorative Medals
Provisions authorizing commemorative medals were contained in the following acts:
, , , recognizing the members of the 1980 United States Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team in the “Miracle on Ice”.
, , , recognizing Everett Alvarez, Jr. for distinctive service and sacrifice during the Vietnam war.
, , , recognizing female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, known as the “Hello Girls”.
, , , recognizing Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress.
, , , recognizing 60 diplomats for their brave and vital service of saving Jews during World War II, known as the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust.
, , , recognizing Billie Jean King for her contribution to the United States and her leadership advancing equal rights for women.
, , , recognizing the United States Army Dustoff crews of the Vietnam War, collectively, for their heroic military service.
, , , recognizing Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley for heroic actions in the midst of evil, injustice, and grief that became a catalyst for the civil rights movement.
, , , recognizing Benjamin Berell Ferencz for his service to the United States and international community during the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and lifelong advocacy for international criminal justice and rule of law.
, , , recognizing the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979–1981 for their bravery and endurance throughout their captivity.
, , , recognizing Glen Doherty, J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods, killed in the attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on , for their contributions to the nation.
, , , recognizing United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II.
, , , recognizing the service of the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the “Six Triple Eight”.
, , , recognizing the service of the 23d Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Services Company, known collectively as the “Ghost Army”, during World War II.
, , , recognizing Willie O’Ree, the first Black player to compete in the National Hockey League.
, , , recognizing the 13 United States servicemembers killed at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on .
, , , recognizing the 369th Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the “Harlem Hellfighters”, for service during World War I.
, , , recognizing the United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol on .
, , , recognizing Greg LeMond.
, , , recognizing female individuals who held employment or volunteered in support of the war efforts during World War II, known as “Rosie the Riveter”.
, , , recognizing Merrill’s Marauders.
, , , recognizing the United States merchant mariners of World War II.
, , ; , , , recognizing Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and all women who served as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration between the 1930s and the 1970s.
, , , recognizing Stephen Michael Gleason.
, , , recognizing the crew of the USS Indianapolis.
, , , recognizing Chinese-American Veterans of World War II.
, , , recognizing Larry Doby.
, , , recognizing Anwar Sadat.
, , , recognizing Bob Dole.
, , , recognizing the Office of Strategic Services.
, , , recognizing Filipino Veterans of World War II.
, , , recognizing Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March in March, 1965.
, , , recognizing Jack Nicklaus.
, , , recognizing the 65th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, known as the “Borinqueneers”.
, , , recognizing the Monuments Men.
, , , recognizing Shimon Peres.
, , , recognizing World War II members of the Civil Air Patrol.
, , , recognizing the World War II members of the 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) who became known as the “Doolittle Tokyo Raiders”.
, , , recognizing the American Fighter Aces.
, , , recognizing the First Special Service Force.
, , , recognizing Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley.
, , , recognizing Raoul Wallenberg.
, , , recognizing the fallen heroes who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks on the United States on .
, , ; , , , recognizing the Montford Point Marines.
, , , recognizing the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service, United States Army, for service during World War II.
, , , recognizing Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
, , , recognizing the 10th anniversary of , and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
, , , recognizing Arnold Palmer.
, , , recognizing Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., Michael Collins, and John Herschel Glenn, Jr.
, , , recognizing the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
, , , recognizing Native American code talkers.
, , , recognizing Senator Edward William Brooke III.
, , , recognizing Constantino Brumidi.
, , , recognizing Aung San Suu Kyi.
, , , recognizing Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D.
, , , recognizing Dr. Norman E. Borlaug.
, , , recognizing Byron Nelson.
, , , recognizing the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
, , , recognizing the Tuskegee Airmen.
, , ; , , ; , , , recognizing members of public safety organizations who were killed in, or died as a result of, the terrorist attacks in the United States on .
, , ; , , , recognizing Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., and his widow Coretta Scott King.
, , , recognizing Reverend Joseph A. DeLaine, Harry and Eliza Briggs, and Levi Pearson.
, , , recognizing Dr. Dorothy Irene Height.
, , , recognizing Jackie Robinson.
, , , recognizing Prime Minister Tony Blair.
, , , recognizing General Henry H. Shelton.
, , , 2763A–311, recognizing the Navajo Code Talkers.
, , , recognizing Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
, , , recognizing Pope John Paul II.
, , , recognizing Charles M. Schulz.
, , , recognizing Archbishop John Cardinal O’Connor.
, , , recognizing Father Theodore M. Hesburgh.
, , , recognizing Rosa Parks.
, , , recognizing the individuals commonly referred to as the “Little Rock Nine”.
, , , recognizing Gerald R. and Betty Ford.
, , , recognizing Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
, , , recognizing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
, , , recognizing Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
, , , recognizing Frank Sinatra.
, , , recognizing civilians who defended Pearl Harbor.
, , , recognizing Billy and Ruth Graham.
, , , recognizing Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
, , , commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the American Philosophical Society and of the birth of Thomas Jefferson.
, , , commemorating Benjamin Franklin’s contributions to American fire services.
, , ; , , , recognizing members of the United States Armed Forces who served in a combat zone in connection with the Persian Gulf conflict.
, , , recognizing General Colin L. Powell.
, , , recognizing General H. Norman Schwarzkopf.
, §§ 1491, 1494, , , 1722, recognizing General Matthew B. Ridgway.
, §§ 1492, 1494, , , 1722, recognizing veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States who were present in Hawaii on , and participated in combat operations that day.
, §§ 1493, 1494, , , commemorating centennial of Yosemite National Park.
, , , recognizing Laurance Spelman Rockefeller.
, , , commemorating bicentennial of United States Coast Guard.
, , , recognizing Andrew Wyeth.
, §§ 1–3, , , recognizing Jesse Owens.
, §§ 1, 2, , , recognizing Mary Lasker.
, , , recognizing Aaron Copland.
, , , recognizing Harry Chapin.
, , , recognizing Natan (Anatoly) and Avital Shcharansky.
, , ; , , ; , , , commemorating the Young Astronaut Program.
, §§ 401–407, , , 3680, recognizing outstanding individuals in the American arts.