Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday launched a rendering of a brand new coin that includes President Donald Trump, saying that the U.S. Mint will start placing the $1 piece to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“As America commemorates 250 years of independence, the [U.S. Mint] will start placing this new $1 gold coin to honor the enduring legacy of liberty and an enduring image of patriotism,” Bessent wrote in a social media submit. “That includes President Trump, it celebrates the power of American values, and the promise of a nation devoted to preserving freedom for all.”
The cash — which aren’t actual gold however will characteristic a gold-like end — might be accessible within the fall, a Treasury Division spokesperson mentioned.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent launched a rendering of a $1 commemorative coin that includes President Donald Trump, July 15, 2026, saying that the U.S. Mint will start placing the piece to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
@SecScottBessent/X
The last and solely time a dwelling president was featured on arduous foreign money struck by the U.S. Mint was a century in the past for the U.S. Sesquicentennial. The half-dollar coin featured then-President Calvin Coolidge silhouetted behind the bust of President George Washington. On the time, the Mint produced one million of the cash with 860,000 of them finally returned and melted on account of low demand.
Whereas dwelling presidents are typically barred from showing on U.S. foreign money, the Trump administration has argued that the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 permits the design as a result of it authorizes the Treasury secretary to supervise the minting of particular cash for the nation’s Semiquincentennial. And whereas the identical legislation bars any particular person from showing on the tail facet of a coin, the restriction does not apply to its face.
Federal legislation additionally stipulates that coin designs be chosen by the Treasury secretary after session with the Fee of Fantastic Arts, which permitted the design final March, and assessment from the bipartisan Residents Coinage Advisory Committee, an 11-person physique established by Congress in 2003 to advise on designs of arduous foreign money.
However the Treasury Division seems to have skipped the latter committee, elevating questions concerning the legality of the coin’s manufacturing.
Talking with ABC Information on Wednesday, two members of the committee mentioned apart from a couple of last-minute makes an attempt by the Mint to current the proposed coin to the committee in November and December, the physique by no means had an opportunity to assessment the design as required by legislation.
“We have by no means seen any design with the portrait of Donald Trump on it,” Donald Scarinci, a numismatist and Democrat who’s spent over twenty years on the committee, advised ABC Information.
Scarinci mentioned the proposed December assembly finally did not happen as a result of it was not possible to succeed in a quorum of members on such brief discover.
In the course of the committee’s February assembly, one other member of the board, Kellen Hoard, a coin collector who represents most of the people, additionally mentioned that the board acquired no alternative to weigh in on the coin, nor did they assessment the designs finally chosen for the Semiquincentennial collection of quarters.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent seems on ABC Information’ “This Week” on Jan. 25, 2026.
ABC Information
“I’ve by no means reviewed the Semiquincentennial $1 coin portfolio, a lot much less been given a possibility to assessment it. Is it authorized now for the Mint to maneuver ahead with creating the Semiquincentennial $1 coin regardless of me by no means having the chance to assessment the piece?” Hoard requested performing Mint Chief Counsel Greg Weinman on the assembly.
Weinman replied that he didn’t agree with Hoard’s characterization and mentioned that the Mint’s place is the board made the choice to not assessment the design.
“I feel the Mint made a big effort to request the CCAC to assessment the portfolio. There was clearly a aware determination not to take action. The Mint has moved ahead accordingly. I’m not ready to debate greater than that at this assembly,” Weinman mentioned.
“I consider the CCAC was given — no less than the chair of the CCAC was given a full alternative to assessment this portfolio,” Weinman added later. “The Mint, for my part, tried a number of occasions to search out a possibility for the CCAC to assessment the portfolio. The CCAC decided to not. Not less than the chair of the CCAC made the choice to not.”
“The idea that the secretary of the Treasury can create his personal coin — it is unlawful,” Scarinci mentioned of the transfer, including that Congress would have the authority to confiscate and demonetize the cash and that concern concerning the coin crosses partisan boundaries on the committee.
“This isn’t a Democrat-Republican difficulty so far as the coin is worried,” he mentioned.
Throughout a January assembly of the committee, performing chief of the U.S. Mint’s workplace of design administration Megan Sullivan assured board members that the coin was authorized.
“Authorized analysis from each the Mint and the Division of the Treasury decided that the proposed coin wouldn’t violate any legal guidelines and is authorized beneath the legislation authorizing the minting of cash for the Sesquicentennial,” she mentioned.
The coin just isn’t the one piece of foreign money that the Treasury Division is placing Trump’s imprint on. Paper foreign money printed this yr can even feature Trump’s signature above that of Bessent’s — a primary for an American president. Bessent advised Fox Information earlier this week that, too, would go into circulation this fall.
In Might, Trump administration officers pushed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to maneuver ahead with designing a commemorative $250 invoice with Trump’s portrait and signature, ought to laws to create the brand new foreign money go, based on two folks with information of the discussions.
That invoice has been caught within the Home Monetary Providers Committee for greater than a yr.
