Seven Releases Celebrating Congress’ 200th Anniversary
Congress authorized in 2000 a set of three coins to finance the construction of the United States Capitol Visitors’ Center. This would celebrate that the United States Congress has been in session in Washington for over two hundred years. Approved were a Clad Half Dollar, a Silver Dollar, and a Five Dollar Gold coin. The surcharge on all of the coins sold would go to help pay for the construction.
The U S Capitol Clad Half Dollar was the first commemorative Half Dollar struck since the 1995-1996 Olympic Half Dollars. Dean Mc Mullen depicted the original US Capitol, in great detail, over the silhouetted outline of the present-day U S Capitol building. A circa 1800 horse-drawn carriage is in front of the Capitol and this design is ringed by a circle of fifty-five-pointed stars. Inside that circle of stars and above the Capitol is “IN GOD WE TRUST” while below the Capitol is “U. S. CAPITOL 1800” in two lines. The outer ring has the word “LIBERTY” and the date “2001.”
The reverse was designed by both Alex Shagin and Marcel Jovine and consists of sixteen five-pointed stars arranged in a circle and inside are various inscriptions reading “1800/6th CONGRESS/SENATE 32 SENATORS/HOUSE 106 MEMBERS/E PLURIBUS UNUM.” Around the periphery are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and the denomination “HALF DOLLAR.” The 16 states represent the 16 states that existed in the United States in 1800.
The US Mint in Philadelphia struck both the Uncirculated and Proof versions of this Half Dollar and they were offered individually and as a 2-coin set.
Although the maximum authorized mintage of the Clad Half Dollar was set at 750,000 coins, only 99,157of the Uncirculated coins were sold and only 77,962 of the Proof coins were sold.
The United States Mint also struck a Silver Dollar Commemorative coin as well. The obverse of the coin had an image of the original Capitol Building from 1800 in the foreground with the modern Capitol Building in the background. To the right of the old Capitol Building is the date “1800” and above the new Capitol Building the date of striking “2001.” The upper periphery has the word “LIBERTY,” and the lower periphery has “U. S. Capitol” on it. The obverse was designed by Marika Somogyi.
The reverse was designed by John Mercanti, and it looks slightly similar to the $20 Double Eagle Liberty of 1850-1907. There is a heraldic eagle at the center with rays of the sun behind it. There is a scroll across the eagle on which is inscribed “U. S. CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER” and above the rays is the motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” The upper periphery has “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and the lower periphery has the denomination “ONE DOLLAR.”
The Uncirculated and Proof versions of the 2001 Capitol Visitor Center Silver Dollar were both struck at the Philadelphia Mint.
Both of these Silver Dollar coins were offered individually or as part of a three-coin set. The maximum authorized mintage limit was set at 500,000 coins but the Uncirculated coin sold only 35,380 coins while the Proof did better, selling 143,793 coins.
The $5 Gold Commemorative coin was the third and final coin in the set. The obverse of this gold coin depicts the top portion of a Corinthian column. To the left of the column is the inscription “FIRST CONVENING OF CONGRESS IN WASHINGTON,” and around the periphery are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and the date “2001.” Elizabeth Jones, the former Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, designed the obverse of this coin.
The reverse features yet another view of the old 1800 U. S. Capitol with the inscription “E PLURIBUS UNUM” above the building, and on the periphery are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “FIVE DOLLARS.” This reverse was also designed by Elizabeth Jones.
Both the Uncirculated and Proof versions were struck at the West Point Minting facility in New York. The maximum authorized mintage across all versions of this Commemorative Five Dollar Gold coin was 100,000 coins. But the Uncirculated version sold a scant 6,761 coins while the Proof version sold 27,652 coins. Premiums were developed for the Uncirculated version once the exceptionally low mintage was discovered and published.
| Date | Mintmark | Denomination | Type | Mintage | Value |
| 2001 | P | Clad Half Dollar | Uncirculated | 99,157 | $15 |
| 2001 | P | Clad Half Dollar | Proof | 77,962 | $20 |
| 2001 | P | Silver Dollar | Uncirculated | 35,380 | $45 |
| 2001 | P | Silver Dollar | Proof | 143,793 | $55 |
| 2001 | W | $5 Gold | Uncirculated | 6,761 | $515 |
| 2001 | W | $5 Gold | Proof | 27,652 | $500 |
| 2001 | P & W | 3 Coin Proof Set | Proof | Included | $575 |
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