U.S. Mint will produce $1 coin with Trump's image, Treasury Secretary says
The U.S. Treasury announced that the U.S. Mint is producing $1 coins featuring President Donald Trump to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary. The decision has sparked debate regarding the legality of placing a living person on currency, despite Treasury officials citing historical precedents.
Why it matters
The move challenges long-standing norms and legal interpretations regarding the depiction of living political figures on U.S. currency.
The U.S. Mint will begin producing $1 coins with President Donald Trump’s face on the front as part of its commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday (July 15, 2026).
The design, which also features the words “Liberty,” “In God We Trust” and “1776-2026” on the front and an image of the bald eagle from the presidential seal on the back, was a revision from a draft made public in October. The rear face of that design showed Trump holding a raised clenched fist framed with the words “fight, fight, fight,” a reference to the 2024 assassination attempt against him.
Mr. Trump said he was “honored” by the coin.
“They gave me a coin,” Mr. Trump said in an interview with Fox Business. “That’s very unusual from what I understand.”
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