Key facts
- The U.S. Mint will produce $1 coins featuring Donald Trump.
- A 2020 bipartisan law authorized the issuance of coins for the United States semiquincentennial.
- Federal law generally prohibits living individuals from appearing on U.S. currency.
- An earlier draft design for the coin featured Trump on both sides with a "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT" inscription.
The U.S. Mint is set to begin producing $1 coins that will feature Donald Trump. This initiative follows a bipartisan law enacted in 2020, which authorized the Treasury Secretary to issue coins in 2026 to commemorate the United States semiquincentennial. While the law specified that no person, living or dead, could be depicted on the reverse side, some interpretations suggest Trump's portrait might be permissible on the coin's face.
Federal law generally prohibits living individuals from appearing on most U.S. currency. For instance, the Presidential $1 Coin Program, established in 2007, stipulated that no living presidents or those deceased within the preceding two years would be featured. Furthermore, an 1866 law explicitly forbids living people from appearing on paper currency, though its application to coinage is less clear.
The final design announced by the U.S. Mint appears to be a significant departure from an earlier draft design that was obtained by POLITICO in October. That draft design reportedly featured Trump on both sides of the coin, with the reverse side showing him with his fist raised and the words "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT" inscribed above him.
Details regarding the number of coins to be minted and whether they are intended for general circulation or as commemorative items were not immediately specified in the announcement. The Treasury Department, U.S. Mint, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.