Who thought of such a wonderful program to remind us of our states' beauty, history,
and landmarks? The United States Congress, that's who!
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One
of the many responsibilities the United
States Congress has is making our coin laws, and the United
States Mint has to follow these coin laws. Congress meets
and works in the United States Capitol.
They determine what coins are to be made. The Mint can
only produce coins that the Congress gives them permission to make.
If the director of the Mint wants to change a coin's appearance,
he has to get permission from the Congress, the Secretary
of the Treasury, the Commission
of Fine Arts, and the President. No wonder there aren't
many changes made to our coins!
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In 1996 Delaware Congressman Michael Castle proposed a bill to get the whole idea started. The bill was approved by the Senate and The House of Representatives. It was called the United States Commemorative Coin Act of 1996, and President Clinton signed it on October 20, 1996. It was also known as Public Law 104-329. Congressman Castle said, "Through the years, our nation's currency has symbolized the great leaders and historic moments of our nation. And now by passing this legislation we can prepare to pay tribute to the states and people that make our nation what it is today."