NEW $1 Coins Released – See Them Here!

For the first time in American history, a sitting president’s face is headed for a U.S. coin — and the Treasury Department says it’s perfectly legal.

Story Snapshot

  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent showed off early designs for a $1 coin featuring President Trump’s likeness, tied to America’s 250th birthday in 2026.
  • A law from 1866 bans living people from appearing on U.S. currency, but the Treasury argues a 2020 commemorative coin law creates a legal opening.
  • The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, made up of Trump appointees, approved the coin design.
  • Democratic senators introduced a bill to block the coin, and at least one lawsuit has been filed challenging the move.

Treasury Secretary Shows Off the Coin Design

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly shared early draft designs for a $1 coin bearing President Trump’s image. The coin is tied to America’s 250th birthday, known as the Semiquincentennial, set for 2026. The U.S. Mint’s website listed three design options — two featuring Trump’s headshot and one showing his side profile. All three include the phrase “In God We Trust.” The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts formally approved the design.

One of the draft images draws from a striking moment — Trump’s photo from the 2024 assassination attempt. U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach reposted a social media image of the proposed coin design, signaling the Treasury’s serious intent. The Treasury confirmed in January 2026 that the coin does not “violate any laws,” according to a Mint representative at a Commission of Fine Arts meeting.

The Law That Stands in the Way

Federal law is blunt on this point. Title 31 of the U.S. Code states that “only the portrait of a deceased individual” may appear on U.S. currency. That rule traces back to 1866, when Congress passed what became known as the Thayer Amendment. The ban came after a Treasury official named Spencer Clark put his own face on a five-cent note — a move that outraged lawmakers and led to the strict prohibition still on the books today.

The Treasury’s defense rests on the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which Trump himself signed into law during his first term. The administration argues this law created a special Semiquincentennial program that allows the Treasury Secretary to issue a commemorative $1 piece in 2026 — and that this carves out a narrow legal path around the 1866 ban. Even Democratic senators who oppose the coin acknowledged the Treasury does have legal authority to mint $1 collectible coins for occasions like the Semiquincentennial.

Where the Legal Argument Gets Shaky

The Treasury’s case has real gaps. The 2020 law explicitly bans any portrait of a living person on the reverse side of certain 2026 coins. The administration says Trump’s image goes on the obverse — the heads side — not the reverse. But no formal legal opinion from the Justice Department or Treasury’s own legal office has been made public to confirm that distinction settles the matter. The Treasury has also described the Trump design as “one of several options under consideration,” which is not the language of a done deal.

Congress Pushes Back and a Lawsuit Follows

Democratic senators introduced legislation called the Change Corruption Act in December 2025, aimed at banning currency bearing “the likeness of a living or sitting president.” The bill directly targets the Trump coin plan. A federal lawsuit has also been filed challenging the coin under the 1866 statute, adding a judicial front to the fight. The legal and political resistance is real, but so is the administration’s momentum — the coin already cleared an arts review board and has a confirmed production timeline tied to the 2026 anniversary.

The fairest read of the facts is this: the Treasury has a colorable legal argument, but it has not yet proven its case in any court or through any published legal memo. Supporters of the coin can point to the 2020 law as a genuine basis for action. Critics can point to the 1866 statute and the absence of any formal legal ruling. Both sides have a point — and that is exactly why this ends up in front of a judge. The American tradition of keeping living leaders off currency exists for good reason. It guards against the kind of personality-driven government the Founders feared. Whether a commemorative coin crosses that line is a question worth taking seriously, not dismissing.

Sources:

youtube.com, thehill.com, coinweek.com, britannica.com, politifact.com, the-independent.com, cortezmasto.senate.gov, abcnews.com, facebook.com, atlantafed.org

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