Trump $1 coin makes him first living president on US currency in a century
The US Mint special edition is stamped with a portrait of Trump alongside the words "In God we trust".
Donald Trump's likeness has been featured on a new US coin, marking the first instance in a hundred years that a sitting president has appeared on American currency.
The US Mint unveiled the commemorative $1 coin, which showcases a portrait of Trump along with the inscription "In God we trust." This release is part of the celebration for America's 250th anniversary.
According to the US Mint, this special-edition currency embodies "the spirit, pride, and legacy of a nation approaching its landmark anniversary."
Within hours of their release, the coins were listed as "not currently in stock" on the US Mint's website. A roll of 25 coins was priced at $61 (£45), and a bag of 100 coins retailed for $154.50. The BBC reached out to the US Mint, the Treasury, and the White House for further information.
The US Mint stated that the coin was "created to celebrate this historic national milestone" with a "once-in-a-generation anniversary design destined to become a standout addition to modern collections."
In May, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced his department's intention to issue a new $250 bill featuring a portrait of the president.
Federal law generally prohibits the depiction of living individuals on US currency. While Trump's congressional allies have introduced legislation to create an exception, that proposal is currently stalled.
At the time, Bessent pointed out that another living US president had previously appeared on the nation's currency.
In 1926, a half-dollar coin commemorating America's 150th anniversary featured then-President Calvin Coolidge.
The Trump administration has also referenced the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, enacted during Trump's first term.
This statute forbids portraits of living individuals on the reverse (tails side) of coins, but it does not explicitly address the obverse (heads side), where Trump's image is displayed on the new $1 coins.
The Thayer Amendment of 1866 prohibits the portrait of any living person on US notes, though this prohibition has traditionally not extended to coins.