Trump’s portrait hits U.S. dollars! The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the issuance of a 1-dollar gold coin to mark the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, breaking the century-old ban.

According to the Washington Post, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced this week that the U.S. Mint is about to produce a brand-new $1 gold-toned commemorative coin. The obverse will feature the portrait of the incumbent president, Donald Trump, to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary of founding. The move breaks the century-old American tradition that “living presidents may not appear on currency,” sparking heated debate in both law and politics.
(Backgrounder: Trump’s U-turn—cancels the 20% Hormuz Strait protection fee, replaced by Gulf states’ “massive investment in the United States”)
(Background addition: U.S. airstrikes on Iran enter the third night! Trump says the “Middle East allies should pay protection fees,” and two oil tankers are destroyed)

As the U.S. government prepares celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the founding (Semiquincentennial, 1776-2026), it has rolled out a shock to the public with a major monetary policy decision. On July 15, 2026, Beijing time, according to the Washington Post, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent officially announced this week that the U.S. Mint (U.S. Mint) will produce a brand-new $1 gold-toned coin, whose biggest highlight is that the obverse will be engraved with the headshot of incumbent President Donald Trump.

This decision not only has high value for circulation and collecting, but also crosses a sensitive line in U.S. regulations and political traditions. Because it effectively sidesteps the long-standing tradition and related legal restrictions that “living presidents or natural persons may not appear on U.S. currency,” it signals a major breakthrough for the Trump administration in shaping national commemorative symbols.

Coin design details released: Trump’s side-profile look paired with the classic old eagle

Based on design showcase images provided by the U.S. Treasury, the $1 coin features a striking gold-toned look. The obverse of the coin engraves President Trump’s face, alongside the traditional U.S. motto “In God We Trust,” while “Liberty (Liberty)” and the 1776-2026 time stamp marking the anniversary ring the coin around it. The reverse continues the traditional U.S. national symbolism, featuring an eagle with both talons gripping an arrow representing power and an olive branch representing peace.

Treasury Secretary Bessent emphasized that the coin has both circulation and collectible qualities. As Treasury Secretary, Bessent legally holds the core authority to authorize the design and issuance of new coins, so he directly signed off on this design—highly historic yet also highly controversial.

Bypassing the 1866 “living persons” law triggers legal sparring across the political spectrum

In fact, having living political leaders appear on national currency is extremely rare in U.S. history. As early as 2025, inside the Trump administration and among supporters, there were already secret discussions about plans to include Trump’s portrait in a coin design. During that time, multiple versions were even considered, such as “side-profile portraits” and “a fist-raising pose.” However, the plan quickly ran into legal challenges, because a federal law dating back to 1866 explicitly prohibits using portraits of living people on Treasury securities or currency.

In response, the Treasury’s legal team argued that for the special and major historical milestone of the U.S. 250th anniversary of founding, the Treasury has statutory authority and discretion for an exception sufficient to legally issue this commemorative coin. However, this administrative interpretation did not win over all members of Congress. Democratic lawmakers have publicly voiced strong opposition, denouncing the move as “a serious violation of the political tradition since the founding of the United States,” calling it an indirect politicization of national currency. The expectation is that both sides will enter a new round of back-and-forth in Congress over who has the power to interpret the coin law.