Key takeaways:
- The Treasury Department says the U.S. Mint is producing a $1 commemorative coin featuring President Donald Trump for the U.S. semiquincentennial.
- A Treasury spokesperson told CBS News the coin is made of non-precious metals with a gold-like finish and will be available this fall.
- Federal law generally bars living people from appearing on U.S. currency and securities, while Treasury points to a 2020 law authorizing semiquincentennial $1 coin designs.
The U.S. Mint has begun producing a new commemorative $1 coin bearing President Donald Trump’s face, a gold-colored release planned for this fall as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Wednesday.
Bessent said on X that the coin would “honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism.” He added: “Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all.”
A Treasury Department spokesperson told CBS News the coin is already in production and will be available beginning this fall. Despite being described as a gold coin, it is composed of non-precious metals and will have a “gold-like finish,” the spokesperson said. The Guardian reported that the version revealed Wednesday has a gold finish rather than being made of solid gold.
The front of the coin shows Trump in a suit and tie with a stern expression, according to The Guardian. The word “LIBERTY” appears along the top edge, the dates 1776-2026 are displayed along the bottom, and “IN GOD WE TRUST” is placed in the center. The reverse features the traditional bald eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” around the top edge. The shield on the eagle’s chest bears the Latin phrase “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” meaning “Out of many, one.”
The Treasury Department said the coin is tied to the U.S. semiquincentennial. A spokesperson pointed CBS News to a 2020 law authorizing the Treasury to issue $1 coins “with designs emblematic of the United States Semiquincentennial during the one-year period beginning January 1, 2026.” The Trump administration has argued that the president may appear on a new coin under that law.
The decision has drawn scrutiny because federal law generally bars living people from appearing on U.S. currency and securities. “Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities. The name of the individual shall be inscribed below the portrait,” the U.S. Code states. All U.S. currency also must bear the inscription “In God We Trust.”
Bessent addressed a related issue in May, when the Treasury Department said it was considering a $250 bill featuring Trump. He said at the time that putting a living person on U.S. currency would require Congress to change federal law.
The Guardian reported that Treasury officials said the coin’s final design was approved earlier this year by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, but that the version unveiled Wednesday is not identical to the previously approved design. CBS News reported that under federal law, the bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee must review and approve proposed commemorative coin designs.
The coin is the latest federal symbol connected to Trump. The Guardian reported that Trump has repeatedly sought to place his name and image on prominent institutions and projects, including the renaming of the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center performing arts venue and a new class of battleships. The outlet also reported that Trump’s signature is set to appear on U.S. paper currency, marking the first time a sitting president’s signature will appear on legal tender; to make that change, the treasurer’s signature will be removed for the first time since 1861.
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