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Treasury Defends Draft $1 Trump Coin as Legal Hurdles Cloud 2026 Plan

Treasury cites a 2020 coin law, with unresolved bans on living portraits leaving the timeline uncertain.

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.