A new $1 coin designed to celebrate America's 250th birthday, and featuring the face of President Donald Trump, went on sale Wednesday, according to the US Mint. The coin's design places Trump's likeness on the "heads" side, while the Great Seal of the United States appears on the "tails" side, depicting a bald eagle gripping arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other, along with a banner bearing the Latin phrase "E Pluribus Unum," meaning "out of many, one." Struck to "honor 250 years of great American heritage," according to the US Mint, the coin bears the word "Liberty" above Trump's face and the years "1776–2026" below it.
The coin's design received formal approval this year from the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump himself. In past comments, the president described the idea of appearing on a coin as "very unusual," while adding that he felt "honored by it." Trump is only the second sitting president in US history to have his likeness appear on an American coin, following Calvin Coolidge, who appeared on a commemorative half-dollar alongside George Washington in 1926, marking the only prior instance of a sitting president being depicted on US currency.
The release of the coin has drawn some criticism, largely centered on federal law that generally bars the depiction of a living president on US currency. Under 31 U.S. Code § 5112, coins issued to mark the nation's 250th anniversary are barred from including a head-and-shoulders portrait or bust of any person, living or dead, on the reverse side, and are further barred from including any portrait of a living person at all on that side of the coin. However, legal experts and Treasury officials have noted that in certain circumstances, the Treasury Secretary retains authority to authorize the minting and issuance of special commemorative coins, a provision the administration is understood to be relying on to justify the design's legality.
Also Read: Two Dead And Six Wounded In Minneapolis Mass Shooting; Gunman Also Deceased
The coin's release is the latest in a series of instances during Trump's second term in which his name or likeness has appeared on government-issued or government-associated materials, a broader pattern that has occasionally become entangled in legal disputes. Other examples include efforts to attach Trump's name to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the US Institute of Peace, both of which have drawn legal challenges as part of what has been described as an effort by the president to leave a lasting personal mark on institutions in Washington, D.C. His image has also appeared in other contexts this year, including on special-edition US passports issued to commemorate the country's semiquincentennial.
According to the US Mint, a roll of 25 coins is priced at $61, while a bag of 100 coins costs $154.50. The Mint said it had randomly distributed a limited number of special-issue coins, marked "July 4th" to denote that they were struck on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, throughout the standard rolls and bags being sold to the public. Initial orders are being capped at two per household, though the Mint indicated that limit would be lifted at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, allowing for broader purchasing once the initial rollout period concludes.
Also Read: Developing World Confronts Critical Child Health Threat From Malnutrition And Rising Obesity