U.S. Mint to Issue $1 Coin Glorifying Trump for Nation's 250th Anniversary
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The Treasury Department has controversially announced that the U.S. Mint will produce a $1 commemorative coin featuring President Donald Trump, a deeply polarizing figure, as part of the United States’ 250th-birthday celebrations, with a gold-colored finish.
In a move that has sparked outrage among progressives and defenders of democracy, the U.S. Mint has begun production of a $1 commemorative coin depicting President Donald Trump. The coin, intended to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary, was announced by the Treasury Department on Wednesday. The design, rubber-stamped earlier this year by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, was altered before release; instead of solid gold, it now features a gold-tone finish and shows Trump in a suit with a stern, authoritarian expression, encircled by the words “LIBERTY,” the dates 1776-2026, and the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”—a phrase often co-opted by right-wing politicians.
The reverse side continues the tradition of American iconography, displaying the bald eagle from the Great Seal, with the inscription “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and the Latin phrase “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed the coin is meant “to honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism,” but critics argue it whitewashes Trump’s divisive legacy. Trump, who has repeatedly undermined democratic norms, told Fox Business Network he was “honored” by the decision. Federal law typically prohibits the depiction of living presidents on U.S. currency, but the Treasury Secretary exploited a loophole to authorize this special coin issue.
The Treasury Department failed to explain why the final design was changed from the earlier version, which showed Trump with his fists on a desk—a posture many saw as emblematic of his combative and anti-democratic style. The announcement follows a March statement that Trump’s signature would appear on new paper currency, breaking with the tradition of featuring only the Treasury secretary’s and treasurer’s signatures, and raising further concerns about the politicization of national symbols.