U.S. Treasury Secretary: To mint $1 coins featuring a Trump portrait to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the nation

PANews, July 16: According to China News Service, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said on the 15th that, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the U.S. Mint will begin minting a $1 coin whose obverse features a portrait of President Trump. The obverse also bears “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and “1776—2026,” while the reverse features a bald eagle design. Trump said that this coin makes him feel “honored.”

However, critics have questioned the coin’s legality. A U.S. law from 1866 states that portraits of living people may not be used on U.S. currency, but the law refers to banknotes printed by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, whereas coins are minted by the U.S. Mint. In 2020, the U.S. Congress passed a law authorizing the Treasury Secretary to mint a $1 coin to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, but the law prohibits putting portraits of living people on the coin. In an interview aired on Fox News Channel on the 14th, Bessent said that, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the portrait of then-President Calvin Coolidge had previously been featured on coins. Bessent said, “So we can put the portraits of living people on the coin.”