This bill authorizes the creation and sale of commemorative coins for the 2028 Los Angeles and 2034 Salt Lake City Olympic and Paralympic Games to help fund the events, with all surcharges going to the respective organizing committees after covering production costs.
Brad Sherman
Representative
CA-32
This Act authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and sell special commemorative coins for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The coins will feature designs celebrating American athletes and the Games themselves. All surcharges collected from the sale of these coins will be directed to the respective organizing committees to help fund the events and related youth sports programs. The entire program must be conducted at no cost to the U.S. Government.
New Act Authorizes 2028 and 2034 Olympic Commemorative Coins, Charging Up to $50 Surcharge for Games Funding
This new legislation, officially titled the America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act, gives the Treasury Department the green light to mint and sell special collector coins to celebrate the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles and 2034 Salt Lake City Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It’s essentially a major, government-sanctioned fundraiser for the Games, which, unlike in many other countries, are privately funded here in the U.S. The bill specifies exactly what the Treasury can make: four types of coins for each event, including $5 gold coins (up to 100,000 minted) and $1 silver coins (up to 500,000 minted). These coins are legal tender, but the real point is collecting them.
The Price Tag: Premium Coins and the Games Surcharge
If you’re a collector, or just looking for a cool keepsake, get ready to pay a premium. The price for these coins isn't just the face value plus the cost of the metal; it includes a mandatory surcharge that goes directly to the organizing committees. This is the key funding mechanism in the bill.
For the 2028 and 2034 programs, the surcharges range from $5 for the half-dollar clad coins up to $50 for the special 5-ounce proof silver $1 coins. For example, if you buy one of the $5 gold coins, you’ll be paying the coin's value, the cost of minting it, plus a $35 surcharge. All that surcharge money is earmarked for hosting the Games and supporting their legacy programs, like promoting youth sports.
Protecting Taxpayers and Funding the Future
One thing the bill is very clear about is protecting the federal wallet. The Secretary of the Treasury must ensure that minting and selling these coins costs the Federal Government nothing overall. This means that before a single dime of that surcharge money goes to the Olympic committees, the U.S. Treasury must be fully reimbursed for every expense—labor, materials, marketing, and shipping. This is a smart financial firewall, ensuring that the cost of national pride falls on the collectors, not the general taxpayer.
The Timing and the Details
If you want to buy these coins, you’ll have a narrow window. The 2028 LA Games coins can only be issued during the one-year period starting January 1, 2028, and the 2034 Winter Games coins will be available starting January 1, 2034. The bill also specifically encourages promoting the Paralympic Games, noting that the coins must represent the participation of American athletes in both the Olympic and Paralympic events.
There’s a slight catch for collectors: the Secretary can actually increase the mintage limits if independent research shows public demand is higher than expected. While this seems good for meeting demand, it does introduce a bit of wiggle room on how many coins end up on the market, which could affect their future collector value. Still, for everyday people, this bill offers a non-tax revenue stream to support two massive U.S.-hosted international events, all wrapped up in a shiny, collectible package.