Overview
- U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach posted preliminary designs showing the president’s profile on the front and a raised-fist image with “Fight, Fight, Fight” on the back, saying the design is not final.
- The department says the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 authorizes $1 semiquincentennial coinage and is the basis for featuring Trump.
- An 1866-era prohibition on living individuals on U.S. currency and a separate clause limiting portraits on certain coin reverses have prompted questions about legality.
- Treasury has indicated the coin would be legal tender that could circulate in 2026 if issued, but the government shutdown has paused further updates.
- Democratic critics and legal observers are signaling challenges, including a proposed bill from Rep. Ritchie Torres to bar sitting leaders from putting their own likeness on money, with courts possibly deciding the outcome.