US Mint to Feature Trump on $1 Coin for 250th Anniversary Amid Legality Questions

The U.S. Mint is set to produce $1 coins bearing President Donald Trump's image as part of the commemoration of the United States' 250th anniversary. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Wednesday that the coins will feature Trump's likeness on the front, alongside the inscriptions "Liberty," "In God We Trust," and "1776-2026." The reverse side will display a bald eagle, a revision from an earlier draft that included Trump holding a clenched fist with the words "fight, fight, fight."

Trump expressed his honor at being featured on the coin, calling it "very unusual." However, the decision has drawn criticism regarding its legality. A U.S. law from 1866 generally prohibits the use of living persons' portraits on U.S. currency, though this specifically applies to paper money. Coins are minted by the U.S. Mint, which operates under different regulations.

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They gave me a coin. That's very unusual from what I understand.

Further complicating the issue, a law passed by Congress in 2020 authorized the Treasury Secretary to mint $1 coins for the 250th anniversary but explicitly forbade designs featuring living individuals. Bessent, however, defended the decision by pointing to a historical precedent: then-President Calvin Coolidge was featured on a coin commemorating the 150th anniversary of the U.S.

The Treasury Department confirmed that the coins are currently in production at the Philadelphia mint.

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So we can put living people's images on a coin.