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Sultana Steamboat Disaster Commemorative Coin Act of 2021
12/31/2022, 5:05 AM
Summary of Bill HR 4703
The Sultana steamboat disaster occurred on April 27, 1865, when the steamboat Sultana exploded and sank on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee. It is considered one of the worst maritime disasters in US history, with an estimated 1,800 to 2,000 lives lost.
The commemorative coins authorized by this bill would be minted in recognition of the victims and survivors of the Sultana disaster. The coins would be available for purchase by the public, with proceeds going towards supporting the Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Arkansas, and other related educational programs. The bill outlines the design specifications for the coins, including their size, weight, and composition. It also establishes a surcharge on the sale of the coins, with the proceeds from the surcharge going towards the aforementioned museum and educational programs. Overall, the Sultana Steamboat Disaster Commemorative Coin Act of 2021 seeks to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the Sultana disaster and to raise awareness of this tragic event in US history.
Congressional Summary of HR 4703
Sultana Steamboat Disaster Commemorative Coin Act of 2021
This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins in recognition and remembrance of the Sultana Steamboat explosion of 1865.
The designs of the coins shall be emblematic of the historical significance of the Sultana disaster, with special recognition and remembrance given to the lives lost, including the recently released Union soldiers returning home after having been prisoners of war during the American Civil War at Confederate prisons located at Andersonville and Cahaba.
Treasury may issue coins minted under this bill to the public only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2023.
All sales of such coins shall include a surcharge to be paid to the Sultana Historical Preservation Society, Inc. to establish and maintain a new Sultana disaster museum.
