Hundreds gather in downtown Fort Smith to buy U.S. Marshals coins

Several hundred people stood in long lines at the Blue Lion in downtown Fort Smith to buy U.S. Marshals Service commemorative coins. Up to $5 million of the coin sales could be available to pay for exhibit work at the planned U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith.

Doors to the Blue Lion – the former Second Street Live! building now owned by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith – opened to the public at 6 p.m. on Saturday, with U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, selling the first coin to Lenore Beard, 93, the widow of a former U.S. Marshal.

The United States Mint’s commemorative coins honor the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Marshals Service, the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. The coins were first unveiled to the public July 23 during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The coins officially were placed on sale Jan. 29 and may be purchased online through the museum website.

The coins may be purchased for an introductory price of $412.60 for the gold, $46.95 for the silver, and $14.95 for the clad-half dollar. The U.S. Marshals’ commemorative coins are not intended for general circulation and are produced in limited quantities. The United States Mint is authorized to issue a maximum of 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 silver dollar coins and 750,000 clad half-dollars.

In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the estimated 20,000-square-foot national museum. The museum is to be built on 15.9 acres along the Arkansas River that is being donated by the Robbie Westphal family.

The planned $53 million museum's construction is a three-phase project, starting first with site work before moving to building construction and finally design and installation of exhibits to be housed at the museum celebrating the United States' oldest law enforcement agency. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in September, and museum officials hope to have the facility open by late 2017.

‘OVERWHELMED’
Lines to purchase the coins did not dissipate for more than an hour. About 20 minutes into the sale, museum officials announced they were already low on certain coins.

Jim Dunn, president and CEO of the U.S. Marshals Museum, was all smiles.

“This is the third time we’ve been overwhelmed in the last three weeks,” Dunn said of the Saturday crowd.

The first was when museum staff had to move to a larger venue for a Feb. 26 speech in Fort Smith by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. His speech is the first of three Winthrop Paul Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture Series focused on the history of the U.S. Marshals Service.

“We have more than 2,000 RSVPs for that (Scalia speech). ... We think we’ll have 900 to 1,000 students attend. How many times does a Fort Smith student get the chance to go hear an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court speak?” Dunn said through a big smile.

A second overwhelming event was the first day of U.S. Marshals coin sales by the U.S. Mint. According to CoinNews.net, $8.418 million in coins were purchased in the first 12 hours.

Dunn said it could be late March or early April before the museum knows how much money it could receive from the coin sales.

Also at the Blue Lion were Kathy Babb and Mary Young, co-chairs of the first ever “U.S. Marshals Stampede: Kickin’ Up the Dust” fundraiser. The event is set for March 14, 2015, at Kay Rodgers Park in Fort Smith. Babb and Young were selling tickets to the event and raffles for chances on jewelry and a limited edition rifle.

“We’ve had a tremendous response so far,” Young said.

Being the first event, the co-chairs aren’t sure of how many will attend the fundraiser, but are hoping to have between 600 and 1,000 paying guests.