By TheDailyNewsHub
US President Donald Trump has become the first living US president in a century to appear on a circulating US coin, following the release of a new $1 coin bearing his portrait.
The United States Mint began selling the 2026 Semiquincentennial President Donald J. Trump $1 Coin on Wednesday, September 2, as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The Mint says the coin is intended to commemorate the nation’s Semiquincentennial.
The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Trump alongside the inscriptions “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “1776 ~ 2026.” The reverse carries the Presidential Seal, including the eagle, the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “ONE DOLLAR.”
A break from a longstanding tradition
The appearance of a sitting president on the coin is notable because US law has traditionally prohibited living individuals from being depicted on US currency.
However, the Trump $1 coin was authorised under a provision of the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which allowed the Treasury Secretary to mint a new $1 coin for the 2026 anniversary celebrations. The US Mint identifies the legal authority as 31 U.S.C. §5112(y)(1)(C) and Public Law 116-330.
The move has nevertheless attracted controversy, with critics questioning the decision to place a sitting president’s image on US money.
Coin enters the market as a collector item
Although the coin has a circulating finish and is legal tender, the Mint is initially offering it through 25-coin rolls and 100-coin bags.
A roll of 25 coins is being sold for $61, while a bag containing 100 coins costs $154.50, meaning buyers pay substantially more than the coins’ combined $1 face value.
The Mint has also produced 250,000 special coins struck on July 4, featuring a special “July 4th” privy mark. These coins have been randomly included in some of the rolls and bags sold to collectors.
The coins are gold-coloured but are not made of gold. According to the Mint, they are composed of zinc, manganese, nickel and copper, giving them their distinctive golden appearance.
Trump joins historic US coinage
The new coin adds another unusual chapter to US presidential coinage.
The Mint said the design was created by Chief Engraver Joseph Menna and was inspired by an official White House photograph taken by Daniel Torok.
The broader 2026 coin programme was created to mark 250 years of American history, with redesigned dimes, quarters and half-dollars also forming part of the anniversary programme.
The Trump $1 coin is therefore both a commemorative item and legal tender, while its release has generated debate over the long-standing convention against depicting living people on US currency.
TheDailyNewsHub will continue to follow major developments surrounding the US presidency and the country’s 250th-anniversary celebrations.