The US Mint unveiled a one‑dollar coin on Wednesday that carries Donald Trump’s likeness on the obverse, alongside the traditional inscriptions ‘LIBERTY’ and ‘IN GOD WE TRUST’.
Marketed as a commemorative piece for America’s 250th anniversary, the coin is not intended for general circulation but can be used as legal tender if required.
Prices were listed at $61 (£45) for a roll of 25 and $154.50 for a bag of 100, with initial stock sold out on the Mint’s website and remaining units available in vending machines at the Mint’s Washington DC store.
Federal law normally bars a living president from appearing on US currency, but the Mint relied on a specific design clause introduced for the anniversary to sidestep the restriction.
The statute governing the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 bars living figures on the reverse of coins, yet leaves the obverse open, allowing Trump’s portrait to be placed on the front side of the new dollar piece.
The coin’s golden hue is achieved without real gold; it is composed of 88.5% copper with zinc, manganese and nickel making up the balance.
The Mint described the issue as a ‘once‑in‑a‑generation’ design destined for modern collections. The move follows earlier Treasury plans to issue a $250 bill bearing Trump’s image and a recent announcement that US paper money will soon carry the president’s signature, both unprecedented for a sitting officeholder.
Historically, only one living president has appeared on US currency, a half‑dollar issued in 1926 that featured Calvin Coolidge during the country’s 150th anniversary.
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Category: International
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