31 USC 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.

(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.

(3) 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.).

(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.)

Historical and Revision Notes
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.

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Last modified: October 26, 2015