Two faces, one $1 coin: Tradition and Trumpism share a mint
3 Min Read
A proposed $1 coin featuring Trump’s image for the US semiquincentennial raises legal questions and breaks with long-standing democratic traditions.
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US President Donald Trump throws the coin in the air before the start of the 121st Army-Navy Football Game in Michie Stadium at the United States Military Academy, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in West Point, N.Y. (AP)
The US Treasury Department is reportedly considering minting a $1 coin bearing President Donald Trump’s likeness to mark the country’s 250th birthday next year. A first draft of the commemorative coin features Trump’s profile on one side, accompanied by the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” and the dates 1776–2026.
The reverse side shows a defiant-looking Trump raising his fist, echoing the pose he struck after surviving an assassination attempt during his 2024 presidential campaign in Pennsylvania. Encircling the edge of that side are the words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT,” which Trump famously mouthed to supporters immediately following the attack.
“No fake news here. These first drafts honoring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real,” wrote US Treasurer Brandon Beach on X in response to sketches of the coin. He added, “Looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States government is over.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reposted Beach’s message on his own account.
US Treasurer Brandon Beach has confirmed this is happening. This is what Republicans are working on as the government is shut down. pic.twitter.com/BN6ilpeg3N
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 3, 2025
A Treasury spokesperson told CNBC that a final design has not yet been selected but emphasized that “this first draft reflects well the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, even in the face of immense obstacles. We look forward to sharing more soon.”
Legal and historical context
Commemorative coins are legal tender but are not produced for general circulation, according to the United States Mint. It remains unclear whether any previous US coin has ever depicted a living president.
A federal law signed by Trump in January 2021, just before the end of his first term, allows the Treasury Secretary to mint $1 coins “with designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial” during the anniversary year.
However, that same law specifies: “No head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person, living or dead, and no portrait of a living person may be included in the design on the reverse of any coin under subsections (x), (y), and (z).”
Historically, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco notes, “To avoid the appearance of a monarchy, it was long-standing tradition to only feature portraits of deceased individuals on currency and coin. That tradition became law with an 1866 Act of Congress.”
The Treasury Department has reportedly not commented on the legality of the draft coin, and a final decision on the design is still pending.
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