Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold, Silver and Clad Commemorative Coins Proposed

Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 28, 2012 is legislation proposing Pro Football Hall of Fame commemorative coins minted in denominations of $5 gold, $1 silver and 50c clad.

The commemorative coins would recognize and celebrate the Pro Football Hall of Fame which opened its doors on September 7, 1963. Rep. Jim Renacci of Ohio, who introduced the legislation as a means to help commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Hall, said:

"Professional football is the most watched sport in America, and almost nine million people have visited the Hall to pay homage to heroes like Vince Lombardi, Johnny Unitas, Jim Thorpe, and of course Paul Brown, the man credited with founding both of Ohio’s professional football teams."

Numbered H.R. 4104 and given the title Pro Football Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act, the bill would authorize the U.S. Treasury, and therefore the United States Mint, to produce 50,000 of the $5 gold coins, 400,000 of the $1 silver coins, and 750,000 of the clad half dollars. These would be the maximum mintages allowed. The U.S. Mint would need to select a single facility to produce the coins, and it would only be authorized to sell them during 2016, a date that would also be placed on each coin.

H.R. 4104 states that the designs on each coin must be emblematic of the game of professional football, reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and selected by the Secretary of the Treasury following consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA).

Outlined specifications for the commemorative coins dictate that the $5 gold coins have a composition of 90% gold with a weight of 8.359 grams and a diameter of 0.85 inches. The 50c half dollars would be composed of the same clad metals used in circulating coins, feature a weight of 11.34 grams and a diameter of 1.205 inches. Each $1 silver coin would be struck from 90% silver, have a weight of 26.73 grams and a diameter of 1.5 inches. (These are all standard specifications for modern commemoratives.)

Mandated surcharges would include $35 for each gold coin sold, $10 for each silver coin and $5 for each half dollar. These surcharges would be forward to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to help in renovations and the construction of a new building.

"In order to preserve the explosion of artifacts and documents that have come into the Hall due to the growing popularity of pro football, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is expanding its research, education and historical preservations for future generations," said George Veras, President of Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprise. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act is currently before the House Committee on Financial Services. It must pass in the House, Senate and get signed by the President to become law. Last October, the House approved similar legislation that would authorize National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins in the year 2015.