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PoliticsTreasury Secretary Bessent unveils $1 gold coin featuring Trump's face, potentially violating federal law
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on July 15, 2026, unveiled the first images of a $1 gold coin featuring President Donald Trump's face, intended for circulation to commemorate 250 years of American independence. The design appears to match a Semiquincentennial coin design previously shown by the U.S. Mint, rather than a 24-karat commemorative coin approved by the Federal Commission of Fine Arts in March. Federal law prohibits living people from appearing on U.S. currency, but the Trump administration argues the coin circumvents this ban based on a 2020 law allowing designs for the country's 250th anniversary. This follows Bessent's earlier announcement of a new $250 bill with Trump's face.
Source report
Topline
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday unveiled the first images of a $1 gold coin featuring President Donald Trump’s face, weeks after he revealed a new $250 bill with the president’s face, despite U.S. law prohibiting living people from appearing on currency.
Key Facts
- In a post on X, Bessent showed the gold coin featuring Trump’s face on one side, along with the text “In God we trust” and “Liberty 1776-2026.”
- Bessent stated that the U.S. Mint will begin striking this new $1 gold coin to “honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism.”
- He added that the coin intends to commemorate 250 years of America’s independence and celebrate “American values.”
- The design appears to match one of the proposed Semiquincentennial designs shown by the U.S. Mint earlier this year, rather than the 24-karat commemorative coin approved by the Federal Commission of Fine Arts in March.
- Federal law prevents a living person’s face from appearing on U.S. currency, but the Trump administration has argued this particular coin circumvents that ban, based on a 2020 law allowing designs commemorating the country's 250th anniversary.
This is a developing story.
Source
Forbes - BusinessWestern
Part of this Story
U.S. Treasury Unveils $1 Gold Coin Featuring Trump’s Face Despite Legal Ban