US Treasury Confirms Drafts of Trump Dollar Coin for the United States' 250th Anniversary

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The United States Treasury is actively considering a provocative and legally contentious proposal to mint a one-dollar commemorative coin featuring the likeness of President Donald Trump for the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026. After images of the draft designs circulated online, a top Treasury official confirmed their authenticity, igniting a fierce debate over the long-standing U.S. tradition and law that prohibits featuring a living president on currency.

The proposed coin, showcasing two distinct and powerful images of Trump, has been presented by the administration as a tribute to the "enduring spirit" of American democracy, while critics point to it as a potential violation of federal statutes designed to prevent the appearance of a monarchy.

The controversy erupted after draft images of the coin were confirmed as authentic by U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, who supervises the U.S. Mint.

In a post on the social media platform X, Beach directly addressed the speculation, stating, "No fake news here. These first drafts honoring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real," as reported by CNN, CNBC, and Politico. He added, "Looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States government is over." His message was subsequently reposted by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CNBC noted, signaling high-level awareness of the project.

The draft designs are striking and deeply symbolic of Trump's political persona. According to reports from multiple outlets, the front, or obverse, of the coin features a side profile of the president. Above his head is the word "Liberty," and below are the inscriptions "In God we Trust" and the dates "1776" and "2026" to mark the semiquincentennial.

The reverse side depicts a more dramatic scene: a defiant-looking Trump with a clenched fist raised high, an image closely matching his pose moments after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. This image is framed by a billowing American flag and, at the top, the words "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT," which Trump mouthed to supporters immediately after the attack, as detailed by CNBC.

While the Treasury has confirmed the drafts are legitimate, a spokesperson emphasized that a final design has not been selected. "While a final $1 dollar coin design has not yet been selected to commemorate the United States’ semiquincentennial, this first draft reflects well the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, even in the face of immense obstacles," a Treasury spokesperson told CNN and CNBC.

In a more politically charged statement reported by Politico, the spokesperson added, "Despite the radical left’s forced shutdown of our government, the facts are clear: Under the historic leadership of President Donald J. Trump, our nation is entering its 250th anniversary stronger, more prosperous, and better than ever before."

The proposal's primary hurdle is a significant body of U.S. law and tradition. According to CNN, the U.S. code governing coin design explicitly states, "No coin issued under this subsection may bear the image of a living former or current President, or of any deceased former President during the 2-year period following the date of the death of that President."

This principle is rooted in the nation's founding, as the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco notes, and was intended "to avoid the appearance of a monarchy." That long-standing tradition became law with an Act of Congress in 1866, according to the Fed bank.

However, the administration appears to be navigating what it perceives as a legal loophole. The authority to create this specific coin comes from the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act, a bipartisan bill passed by Congress in 2020 and signed into law by Trump during his first term.

This act allows the Treasury Secretary to mint special one-dollar coins in 2026 with designs "emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial."

Crucially, as reported by both CNN and CNBC, that same law contains a specific restriction regarding the reverse side of the coin. The text states, "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 specified coins."

The draft design appears engineered to circumvent this rule. The side portrait of Trump is on the front of the coin, not the reverse. Furthermore, the image on the reverse—Trump with his fist raised—is not a direct "head and shoulders portrait or bust," which could be argued to fall outside the specific prohibition in the statute. It is unclear if this interpretation would withstand a legal challenge.

When asked about the coin, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters she was not certain if the president had personally seen the drafts. "I’m not sure if he’s seen it, but I’m sure he’ll love it," Leavitt said, according to both CNN and Politico.

Such a coin would be a rare departure in American numismatic history. According to The American Numismatic Association, as cited by CNN, the only living president to be featured on a U.S. coin was Calvin Coolidge in 1926, on a half-dollar commemorating the nation's 150th anniversary.

The proposed Trump coin would be a commemorative issue, which CNBC notes are considered legal tender but are not minted for general circulation.

The project, overseen by the Office of the U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, remains in its preliminary stages. The Treasury Department has not provided further comment in response to questions from CNBC regarding the legality of the draft coin. As the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday, the potential minting of a coin bearing the image of a sitting president has moved from the realm of speculation to a confirmed possibility, placing a modern political firestorm at the center of a long-held American tradition.