The U.S. Mint has released its Trump $1 coin for the 250th anniversary of American independence, reviving debate over presidential portraits on currency.
WASHINGTON: A new U.S. $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump has gone on sale, putting his likeness on American coinage and reigniting debate over presidential tradition, federal law and the role of government institutions.
The United States Mint began offering rolls and bags of the 2026 Semiquincentennial President Donald J. Trump $1 Coin on Sept. 2 as part of the nation’s 250th-anniversary celebrations. The coin’s obverse features Trump’s portrait alongside the inscriptions “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “1776 ~ 2026.”
The reverse features the presidential seal, including an eagle holding an olive branch and arrows. A shield bearing the number “250” commemorates the semiquincentennial, while “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “ONE DOLLAR” also appear on the design.
The release has drawn attention because federal law has long restricted the depiction of living people on U.S. currency. The legal issue is more complicated for this coin, however, because the Mint says the Trump dollar was authorized under a specific provision of federal law and the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020. That legislation authorized the Treasury secretary to issue a new $1 coin for one year beginning in 2026 to mark the semiquincentennial.
The development has nevertheless prompted criticism from Democrats and others who argue that featuring a sitting president on government-issued money breaks a longstanding tradition intended to prevent presidential self-promotion. The legal dispute centers in part on how the specific 2020 authorization interacts with other federal restrictions governing images of living presidents.
For collectors, the coins are being sold above their $1 face value. The Mint priced a 25-coin roll at $61 and a 100-coin bag at $154.50. The coins have a circulating finish but, according to the Mint, have not been placed into general circulation. They remain legal tender.
The Mint also struck 250,000 coins on July 4 with a special “July 4th” privy mark. Those coins were randomly included in some rolls and bags offered to collectors.
The Trump coin comes amid a broader debate over the president’s image on U.S. money. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously confirmed that the department had prepared for a possible $250 banknote featuring Trump, but such a note would require congressional action to change the existing legal framework for living people on U.S. currency.
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