The U.S. Mint will begin producing a commemorative $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Wednesday.
According to the Treasury Department, the coin is already in production at the U.S. Mint facility in Philadelphia and will form part of the country’s semiquincentennial commemorations in 2026.
The new design features Trump’s portrait on the front of the coin alongside the inscriptions “Liberty,” “In God We Trust” and the dates “1776-2026.” The reverse side displays a bald eagle from the presidential seal.
The final design differs from an earlier draft released publicly in October. That version depicted Trump raising a clenched fist with the words “fight, fight, fight,” a reference to the assassination attempt against him during the 2024 presidential campaign. The revised design removes that imagery in favor of the traditional presidential seal.
Speaking in an interview with Fox Business, Trump said he was honored by the decision.
“They gave me a coin,” Trump said. “That’s very unusual from what I understand.”
The announcement has sparked legal debate over whether a living president can appear on a U.S. commemorative coin.
An 1866 federal law prohibits the use of portraits of living individuals on U.S. currency. However, that restriction applies specifically to paper currency produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, while coins are manufactured by the U.S. Mint under separate legal authority.
Questions have also been raised about legislation passed by Congress in 2020 that authorized the Treasury Department to issue $1 coins marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. That law stated that commemorative designs should not portray living persons, prompting critics to question whether the latest design complies with congressional intent.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the decision during an interview with Fox News that aired Tuesday, pointing to historical precedent.
He noted that commemorative coins issued during the 150th anniversary of the United States included then-President Calvin Coolidge, arguing that living individuals have appeared on U.S. coins in the past.
“So we can put living people’s images on a coin,” Bessent said.
The Treasury Department has not indicated when the commemorative coins will enter circulation or how many will be produced. It also has not commented on the legal objections raised since the design was announced.
The release is expected to become one of the most closely watched elements of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, reflecting both the historical significance of the milestone and the political debate surrounding the decision to feature a sitting president on a commemorative coin.
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