Paul Laurence Dunbar Commemorative Coin Act

This legislation directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a series of commemorative coins honoring Paul Laurence Dunbar , a highly influential African-American poet. The program aims to recognize Dunbar's significant contributions to American literature, including his classic works like "Majors and Minors" and "Lyrics of Lowly Life," and his role in composing the lyrics for "In Dahomey," the first all-African-American musical on Broadway. The commemorative coin series will include three denominations: up to 50,000 $5 gold coins , 400,000 $1 silver coins , and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins . These coins will be issued during a one-year period beginning January 1, 2028, and their designs will be emblematic of Dunbar, selected after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts and the Dunbar Alumni Federation. A key provision of the bill is the collection of surcharges on coin sales: $35 for each gold coin, $10 for each silver coin, and $5 for each half-dollar coin. These surcharges will be distributed to the Dunbar Alumni Federation , an organization dedicated to providing scholarships and financial support to students and graduates of Dunbar High School, the nation's first public high school for African-American students. The bill includes financial assurances to ensure that the coin program operates without any net cost to the United States Government. Surcharges will only be disbursed to the Federation after all costs associated with designing and issuing the coins have been fully recovered by the U.S. Treasury, thereby protecting taxpayer funds.