The "Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act" directs the Treasury to mint coins honoring baseball player and humanitarian Roberto Clemente, with surcharges benefiting the Roberto Clemente Foundation.
Charles "Chuck" Schumer
Senator
NY
The Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar coins in 2027, to commemorate Roberto Clemente's life and legacy. The coins' designs will represent Clemente's human rights work and baseball achievements, with surcharges on the sale of the coins benefiting the Roberto Clemente Foundation. These funds will support the foundation's mission, including educational programs, youth sports, disaster relief, and historic preservation. The Act ensures that the coin program will not create net costs to the government and outlines specific consultations for the coin designs.
Treasury to Mint Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coins in 2027, Sales to Fund Foundation's Charity Work
Congress is considering a plan to honor baseball legend and humanitarian Roberto Clemente with a series of commemorative coins set for release in 2027. This bill, the "Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act," lays out the specifics for minting limited-edition gold, silver, and half-dollar coins celebrating his life, legacy, and significant humanitarian contributions.
The Coins: Specs and Design
So, what are we talking about here? The Treasury would produce up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins, each with specific weights and metal compositions (Sec. 3). These won't be your everyday pocket change; they're designated as "numismatic items" – basically, collector's pieces intended for enthusiasts, though technically still legal tender. The designs must reflect Clemente's incredible baseball career and his significant humanitarian work, with at least one side featuring his image. Expect inscriptions like "Liberty," "In God We Trust," and "E Pluribus Unum" alongside his name and the year 2027 (Sec. 4). The final look gets selected by the Treasury Secretary after consulting with Clemente's family, his foundation, the Commission of Fine Arts, and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. These coins will only be available for purchase directly from the Mint for one year, starting January 1, 2027 (Sec. 5).
Paying Tribute, Paying Forward
Okay, but where does the money go? When you buy one of these coins, the price includes its face value, the production costs, and an extra fee called a surcharge (Sec. 6, Sec. 7). That's an additional $35 for the gold coin, $10 for the silver, and $5 for the half-dollar. This surcharge money is specifically earmarked for the Roberto Clemente Foundation. The funds are intended to support its ongoing mission, which includes educational programs, youth sports initiatives, disaster relief efforts (a poignant nod to how Clemente tragically died), and preserving historical sites linked to his legacy (Sec. 7). Think of it as a built-in donation honoring Clemente's spirit of giving.
There's a practical check built in: the U.S. Treasury must recover all its costs for designing and minting these coins before the Foundation receives any surcharge funds. The bill explicitly states this program shouldn't result in any net cost to the government (Sec. 8). Furthermore, the Roberto Clemente Foundation will be subject to standard audits regarding its use of these funds, ensuring accountability (Sec. 7). The bill also allows for discounts on bulk orders and prepaid orders placed before the coins are issued (Sec. 6).