What is the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee?

The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, CCAC was formed in 2003. It serves as a replacement for the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee, which though similar, had a more limited role. The CCAC functions as a representative of the interests of American citizens and coin collectors.

It was established to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on proposed themes or designs for circulating coinage, bullion coinage, Congressional Gold Medals, national and other medals. The CCAC also makes recommendations with regard to the events, people, or places to be commemorated on coins in each of the five calendar years following the year in which a commemorative coin designation is made.

They also make recommendations with respect to the mintage level for any commemorative coin. The Secretary makes the final decision on all coins based on the committee's recommendations.

The committee is comprised of 11 members whose job it is to offer experienced an impartial advice to the Secretary of the Treasury, spends hours determining how money looks and how moments in American history will be perceived by future generations. Of the 11, four members are recommended by House and Senate leadership. Currently, those four are Donald Scarinci, Mike Moran, Thomas J. Uram and Mary Lannin. It is mandated that one person on the committee be an expert in the study or collection of currency, also known as numismatics.

Dr. Michale Bugeja fills that seat. One member - currently Robert Hoge - must be an expert in the curation of numismatics. The committee must also have an expert in medallic art – Heidi Wastweet - and an American historian – Dr. Herman Viola. The remaining three are drawn from the general public. Those currently include Erik Jansen, Gary Marks and Jeanne Stevens-Sollman.

A public meeting of the CCAC is set for 9:30 a.m. until 6:45 p.m. Thursday, March 5 in Room 151 of the Oregon Convention Center at 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Portland, Oregon. Agenda items include the review and consideration of candidate designs for the 2016 Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Program, the Monuments Men Recognition Act Congressional Gold Medal Program, the Code Talkers Recognition Congressional Gold Medal Program for the Rosebud Tribe, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential $1 Coin.The CCAC will also review and advise on design concepts for the 2017 America the Beautiful Quarters Program Coins, the Nancy Reagan First Spouse Gold Coin and Bronze Medal, and the 2017 Lions Clubs International Century of Service Commemorative Coin Program.

The CCAC will also host a public forum the next day, Friday, March 6, 2015, at 9 a.m. in Room 149 to receive input from collectors and other members of the public. Any member of the public interested in submitting matters for the CCAC’s consideration or addressing the CCAC at the Public Forum is asked to submit them by fax to the following number: 202–756–6525.