US treasury department mulls minting US$1 coin with Trump’s image

US treasury department mulls minting US$1 coin with Trump’s image

The coin plan stems from 2020 legislation signed by Donald Trump, authorising one-dollar coins for the US semiquincentennial.

US Treasurer Brandon Beach shared the coin’s initial design drafts on X, saying more would follow after the US government shutdown ends. (X pic/Steve Guest)
WASHINGTON:
The US treasury department is considering minting a one-dollar coin that features President Donald Trump in order to commemorate the country’s 250th independence anniversary, officials said Friday.

In a social media post retweeted by treasury secretary Scott Bessent, US treasurer Brandon Beach shared early drafts of the coin.

Beach posted “first drafts” of the design on X, adding that he was “looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the US government is over.”

According to early indicators, the Trump coin would be openly political.

The draft published by Beach depicts Trump shortly after he was lightly wounded in an assassination attempt during his election campaign last year.

The words “Fight, Fight, Fight” appear over an image of Trump with his fist raised – recalling his reaction in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

A Treasury spokesperson, when asked about the coin, took aim at what they called the “radical left’s forced shutdown of our government” and said that the country is entering its anniversary next year “stronger, more prosperous, and better than ever before”.

“This first draft reflects well the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, even in the face of immense obstacles,” the spokesperson said.

The plan for the coin comes after Congress in 2020 passed legislation – signed by Trump during his first administration – allowing the Treasury to issue one-dollar coins “with designs emblematic of the US semiquincentennial”.

It can mint these coins for issuance during the one-year period starting January 2026.

The US Congress has restrictions on the treasury’s ability to feature living people on coin designs, and it is unclear if the drafts could face challenges under existing laws.

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