March of Dimes 75th Anniversary Silver Commemorative Coins Proposed

Rep. Robert J. Dold would like to recognize and honor the 75th anniversary of the March of Dimes Foundation (www.marchofdimes.com) with silver commemorative coins.

On Thursday, October 13, Rep. Dold of Illinois introduced the March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011, H.R. 3187, which would celebrate the foundation’s anniversary in 2014 with 500,000 proof and uncirculated silver dollars.

Designs, Commemorative Coin Specifications and Surcharge

The commemorative coins, according to H.R. 3187, would feature design themes that "represent the past, present, and future of the March of Dimes and its role as champion for all babies."

Design candidates created by United States Mint artists would be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC). The final obverse and reverse coin designs would then be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after consulting with the March of Dimes and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA).

Like all modern silver commemoratives produced by the United States Mint — this year’s two commemorative coins celebrate the Medal of Honor and U.S. Army, each silver dollar would weigh 26.73 grams, have a diameter of 1.500 inches and a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper.

In addition to a $10 surcharge per coin, the price for the commemoratives would be based on the Mint’s cost of designing, producing, marketing and issuing them. Collected surcharges would be paid to the foundation to help finance its goals.

March of Dimes Background

The March of Dimes, initially called the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, was created by President Franklin Roosevelt on January 3, 1938, to help combat polio — an illness he contracted in 1921 which resulted in his paralysis from the waist down. Vaccines were created in the 1950s that have vastly reduced polio cases. The current mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of mothers and babies.

Roosevelt’s association with the March of Dimes is visible in every day change as his portrait is shown on the 10-cent coin. Roosevelt dimes were first introduced for circulation in 1946 and were composed of 90% silver until 1964. Current dimes minted for circulation have a composition of 8.33% nickel with the remaining copper. Its size, at 0.705 inches, is significantly smaller than the proposed silver commemorative coins.

Status of H.R. 3187

The March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011 will become law if it is passed in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives and then gets signed by the President. H.R. 3187 currently has 19 cosponsors. It has been referred to the Committee on Financial Services.