US Coins

Obama signs Breast Cancer Awareness coin bill now law

By Paul Gilkes

Published: May 3, 2016, 6 AM

The Royal Canadian Mint issued a circulating three-ply nickel finish plated steel 25-cent coin bearing a pink ribbon in 2006 in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness. One of the three recently mandated U.S. collector coins on the same topic is to be composed of a pink gold alloy.

Coin image courtesy of Royal Canadian Mint.

President Obama signed into law April 29 the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act. The law authorizes the first U.S. coin in pink gold.

H.R. 2722, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., was sent to the president on April 20. As of May 3, the legislation was not yet assigned a public law number.

The U.S. Mint has already begun the process of securing a vendor or vendors to supply the bureau with the planchets to produce up to a combined 50,000 Proof and Uncirculated $5 half eagles in pink gold of not less than 75 percent pure gold.

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The act also mandates the production and release in Proof and Uncirculated versions of up to 400,000 silver dollars on planchets of not less than 90 percent silver, as well as up to a maximum 750,000 copper-nickel clad half dollars.

The Royal Canadian Mint, which has used color in its coins since 1992, perfected its color application process and has continued using color on special quarter dollars, launching a Breast Cancer awareness coin in 2006 with a pink ribbon against a white background.

The U.S. Breast Cancer Awareness gold $5 coin for 2018 will appear pink in color, with the richness of the hue dependent on the relative concentrations of copper and silver alloyed with the gold.