US Mint Launches Trump $1 Coin Marking Century First for Living President
- On Wednesday, the US Mint launched a special edition $1 coin featuring a portrait of President Donald Trump, marking the first time a living US president has appeared...
- Priced as a collectable rather than currency intended for daily commerce, rolls of 25 coins are sold for $61, while bags of 100 are priced at $154.50, according...
- The appearance of a living president on US currency is an extremely rare occurrence.
On Wednesday, the US Mint launched a special edition $1 coin featuring a portrait of President Donald Trump, marking the first time a living US president has appeared on American currency in a century, according to reporting by BBC News. The commemorative coin was created to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, displaying Trump’s likeness alongside the traditional national inscriptions “Liberty” and “In God We Trust.” While federal law generally prohibits living presidents from appearing on US currency, the Trump administration utilized a design clause within legislation enacted for the milestone anniversary to bypass the restriction, as reported by BBC News.
Pricing, Availability, and Specifications
Priced as a collectable rather than currency intended for daily commerce, rolls of 25 coins are sold for $61, while bags of 100 are priced at $154.50, according to BBC News. Within hours of going on sale, the coins were listed as “not currently in stock” on the official US Mint website, though officials noted that additional production is underway. In addition to online sales, the collectable coins have been made available through vending machines at the US Mint store in Washington, DC. Although not currently entering general circulation, the coins retain legal tender status for settling debts and taxes, though federal law permits private businesses to decline them, per BBC News. The coins feature a golden appearance, but contain no actual gold. According to specifications from the US Mint cited by BBC News, the composition consists of 88.5% copper, with the remaining balance divided among zinc, nickel, and a manganese brass outer layer.
Precedents and Administration Changes to Currency
The appearance of a living president on US currency is an extremely rare occurrence. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pointed to a historical precedent, noting that a half-dollar issued in 1926 to commemorate America’s 150th anniversary featured then-President Calvin Coolidge, according to BBC News. To support the new design, the Trump administration referenced the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, passed during Trump’s first term in office. While that statute explicitly bans portraits of living individuals on the reverse, or tails side, of coins, it does not explicitly restrict the obverse, or heads side, where Trump’s portrait is placed. The release follows other notable changes to US currency under the current administration. In March, the Treasury Department announced that US paper money would soon carry Trump’s signature, marking another first for a sitting president, and officials previously outlined plans to issue a new $250 bill bearing his portrait, according to BBC News.
