Overview
- The Treasury announced it has started production of a gold-colored 1-dollar commemorative coin showing President Trump, with the United States Mint striking pieces in Philadelphia and the Mint saying the coins should be available in the fall.
- The announced design features a forward-facing portrait of Trump with the inscriptions “In God We Trust,” “Liberty,” and the dates “1776–2026,” and the coins are described as gold-colored manganese-brass rather than solid gold.
- Legal experts and advisory members say the design may conflict with a long-standing law that bars portraits of living persons on U.S. currency, and the Mint’s reliance on the 2020 Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act is being questioned.
- Advisory bodies have pushed back: the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee has so far refused to advise on Trump motifs and the Commission of Fine Arts recommended a different portrait than the one chosen by the Treasury.
- The announcement prompted bipartisan criticism and online mockery and could produce concrete consequences such as congressional intervention or court challenges that would decide whether the coin’s production can continue.