Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals: Frequently Asked Questions (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised March 7, 2023 |
| Report Number |
IF10934 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Jacob R. Straus |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Congressional Gold Medals are awarded by acts of
Congress to express public gratitude for distinguished
contributions, dramatize the virtues of patriotism, and
perpetuate the remembrance of great events. First issued by
the Continental Congress to General George Washington,
the medal is considered one of the highest honors bestowed
on behalf of the nation.
Congressional Gold Medals can be awarded to either
individuals or groups. When gold medals are awarded to
individuals, the individual recipient, or his or her family,
receives the gold medal. For instances in which a group is
honored, a single gold medal is generally minted that is
either awarded to the group or placed in a museum for
future exhibition. The awarding of a gold medal to a group
has historically raised questions about duplicate
Congressional Gold Medals, which are generally authorized
to be produced and sold by the U.S. Mint. This InFocus
answers several frequently asked questions about duplicate
gold medals.
