US President Donald Trump's portrait has appeared on a new US $1 coin issued to mark America's 250th anniversary. The US Mint launched the coin on Wednesday as a commemorative collectible, featuring Trump's portrait alongside the words “Liberty” and “In God We Trust”. The coins are not being released into circulation for regular transactions.
According to BBC, the move is notable because US law generally prohibits images of living presidents from appearing on the country's currency. However, legislation linked to the 250th anniversary allowed the Mint to introduce a special design.
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The coins were priced at $61 for a roll of 25 and $154.50 for a bag of 100. They were listed as out of stock on the US Mint's website within hours of going on sale, although the Mint said additional coins were being produced.
The coins were also made available through vending machines at the US Mint store in Washington DC. The Mint described the coin as a special design created to celebrate the “historic national milestone” and aimed at collectors. Although the coins have a golden appearance, they contain no actual gold. They are made primarily of copper, along with zinc, nickel and manganese brass.
While the coins are not intended for circulation, they remain legal tender and can technically be used for payments including taxes and debts. However, businesses can choose whether to accept them under federal law.
The BBC noted that Trump is not the first living president to feature on US currency. Then-President Calvin Coolidge appeared on a commemorative half-dollar issued in 1926 to mark the 150th anniversary of American independence.
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The Trump administration has also pointed to the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, passed during Trump's first term. The law bars portraits of living people on the reverse of coins but does not explicitly prohibit them on the obverse, where Trump's likeness appears on the new $1 coin.
The latest coin follows another move to place Trump's personal mark on US currency. In March, the Treasury announced that US paper money would soon carry Trump's signature, another first for a sitting president, the BBC reported.
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