The United States Department of the Treasury publicized exploring a commemorative $1 coin with President Donald Trump’s portrait to mark America’s 250th anniversary of independence in the year 2026. The proposition has been very controversial in terms of both its legality and appropriateness since it would be the first time nearly a century ago that a living president’s image has been used on US currency.
Design details and historical significance
The rough sketch of the suggested commemorative coin has President Trump’s face on the obverse, with “Liberty” at the top and “In God We Trust” at the bottom, and the dates “1776-2026” in between. The reverse side features an even more dramatic photo of Trump fist-pumping in what appears to be defiance before an American flag, with the words “Fight, Fight, Fight” in regard to his reaction seconds after the assassination attempt on him during his 2024 presidential campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach also confirmed the authenticity of these initial draft designs on social media site X by stating, “No fake news here. These first drafts commemorating America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real”. Beach stated clearly that more would be announced once the existing government shutdown has been dealt with, emphasizing that these designs are still in the early stages.
The coin would be legal tender for one dollar and would therefore be both commemorative currency and spendable currency. This dual-edged nature makes the legal implications of the proposal more complicated because it erases the line between usable currency and commemorative items.
Legal framework and congressional authorization
The authority for the Treasury to coin this coin derives from the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, signed into law by President Trump in the final days of his first term. The law specifically authorizes the Treasury Secretary to emit $1 coins “with designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial” within the one-year period beginning January 1, 2026.
However, the same 2020 law has provisions that may render the Trump coin plan impossible. According to the law, “no head and shoulders portrait or bust of any dead or living person, and no living person’s portrait shall be put upon the reverse of certain coins”. This clause appears to go against the proposed draft design where Trump’s face appears on both sides of the coin.
The Treasury Department defended its position on the grounds that the 2020 law provides sufficient power to proceed with the commemorative coin. In a press release, the department said, “On this historic anniversary, there is no profile more symbolic for the obverse of this coin than that of our current President, Donald J. Trump”.
Historical precedent and the 1866 prohibition
The suggestion is legally opposed forcefully by way of an 1866 federal law that established the precedent that only dead people can be included on U.S. bills and securities. That restriction followed public outcry against Spencer Clark, director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, who had placed his own image on five-cent bills and printed great quantities before the error was recognized.
The prohibition has helped maintain monarchy appearances at bay in American governance, differentiating the United States from nations whose living monarchs adorn coins and bills. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco reports that this was legislated via a Congressional act specifically to help maintain democracy unscathed in currency design.
Despite this overall prohibition, there is one major historical precedent for the appearance of a sitting president on U.S. coins. In 1926, President Calvin Coolidge appeared on the face of a commemorative half-dollar marking the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is the only time in U.S. history that a sitting president’s likeness has been printed on U.S. currency during his lifetime.
Political response and congressional action
The Trump coin notion has caused acrimonious partisan divisions in Congress. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) announced he will introduce the “TRUMP Act,” or “The Restrict Ugly Money Portraits Act,” targeting the president’s face on currency and one that seeks to strengthen existing laws mandating only dead people be put on US money.
The Treasury Department’s explanation of the proposal has been politicized, with the agency stating in a press release, “Despite the radical left’s forced shutdown of our government, the facts are clear: Under the historic leadership of President Donald J. Trump, our nation is entering its 250th anniversary stronger, more prosperous, and better than ever before”.
Production timeline and implementation challenges
The anticipated coin would be minted in 2026 as part of overall semiquincentennial celebration for 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 directly limits the timeframe for production to a year from January 1, 2026.
Even though Treasury officials have confirmed the draft designs to be authentic, they again state that there is no final plan yet made for the minting of the coin. A Treasury official told various news channels that “this first draft reflects well the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, even in the face of immense obstacles”.
The ultimate fate of the Trump coin may be determined through court review, as legal analysts have questioned the administration’s reading of existing laws. Georgia State University College of Law Professor of Law Michael Kreis stated that “they’re either flagrantly violating the law, or they’re parsing the law to such an extent that its meaning is lost”.
