Congress funds Erie Canal heritage through voluntary coin sales
H.R. 1546 — Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act · Filed by Claudia Tenney (R-NY) · 9 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 24, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce and sell commemorative coins marking the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal (1825–2025): up to 50,000 gold $5 coins, 400,000 silver $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins. The coins will be sold at face value plus a surcharge ($35 per gold coin, $10 per silver, $5 per half-dollar); all surcharges go to the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc. to support historic preservation, recreation, tourism, and educational programs along the canal corridor. The Mint recovers all design and production costs before any surcharge money is distributed.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to authorize a limited commemorative coin series with surcharge proceeds directed to public heritage preservation. It is a straightforward numismatic authorization with a public-benefit funding mechanism.
What the text implies
- Surcharge revenue is contingent on coin sales; if demand is low, heritage fund receives less than anticipated. No minimum revenue guarantee to the fund.
- The 2-commemorative-coin-per-year cap (section 7) may delay or prevent issuance if other commemorative programs are already scheduled for 2026.
- Coins are legal tender but designed as collectibles; most will likely be held off-market, reducing circulation and numismatic utility.
Who it affects
The bill funds public heritage preservation, recreation, and education along the Erie Canal corridor—a genuine public good—through voluntary coin purchases with no cost to taxpayers. Buyers choose to pay a premium; non-buyers are unaffected. The surcharge mechanism ensures private collectors subsidize public conservation.
Who stands to gain
- Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc.
- U.S. Mint (production and design fees)
Named in the bill
U.S. Mint, Secretary of the Treasury, Commission of Fine Arts, Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc., Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
Where it stands
9 cosponsors: 5 Republicans, 4 Democrats.
- Feb 24, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Feb 24, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Financial Services · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the full bill text on Jun 8, 2026; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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