Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coins

December 12, 2017, marked the 100th anniversary of Boys Town, Nebraska. The Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Program Act (Public Law 114-30) was signed into law on July 6, 2015, to commemorate the anniversary of Boys Town and honor a century of saving children and healing families. Under that law, Congress directed the Mint to strike and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coin, 350,000 silver dollar coins, and 300,000 clad half dollar coins.

A young parish priest named Father Edward Flanagan had a theory: Every child could be a productive citizen if given love, a home, an education and a trade. Armed with his belief, and $90 he had borrowed, he rented a boarding house where boys of all races and religions were welcomed.

Father Flanagan’s Home for Boys, or “Boys Town” as it became known, has grown exponentially since its founding in 1917. Today it is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the country, dedicated to serving at-risk children and families of all backgrounds and religions. Through its Boys Town National Hotline, Boys Town National Research Hospital, and other community services, the organization provides treatment for the behavioral, emotional, and physical problems of children and families in 11 regions across the country. Boys Town programs impact the lives of more than two million children and families each year.

Prices for the coins include surcharges of $35 for each gold coin, $10 for each silver coin and $5 for each half dollar clad coin, which the law authorized to be paid to Boys Town to carry out its cause of caring for and assisting children and families in underserved communities across America.