Trump-appointed panel approves gold coin with his image
The US arts commission has approved the final design of a 24-carat gold commemorative coin bearing the image of President Donald Trump to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday on July 4.
The vote by the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts, whose members are supporters of the Republican president and appointed by him in early 2026, was unopposed.
This paves the way for the US mint to begin production of the coin, whose size and value are still debated.
“As our 250th birthday approaches, we are excited to produce coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no more symbolic profile for the obverse of such coins than that of our incumbent President, Donald J Trump,” US Treasury Secretary Brandon Beach said in a statement. he said.
This unprecedented move is yet another example of Trump and his allies circumventing past traditional presidential practices and even laws to get what they want.
It’s the latest example of Trump putting his name and likeness into the historical archive after renaming the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center performing arts venue and a new class of warships, among other accolades.
Federal law says no living president can appear on U.S. currency. But Megan Sullivan, acting director of the Mint’s Office of Design Management, said the Treasury secretary has the authority to authorize the minting and issuance of new 24-carat gold coins, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used to get around that ban.
Sullivan presented the coin’s final design at the commission’s March meeting on Thursday US time and said Trump approved it.
“My understanding is that the Secretary of the Treasury presented this design and others to the president, and they were his selection,” Sullivan said.
The obverse of the coin features a picture of Trump in a suit and tie with a stern expression on his face.
He holds his fists on what must be a table as he leans forward. The letters on the top half of the coin read “LIBERTY” in a slight arc.
Directly below are the dates 1776-2026. At the bottom is the inscription “IN GOD WE TRUST”, with seven stars on one side of the coin and six stars on the other.
The reverse depicts a bald eagle in mid-flight with the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and the US motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, Latin for “one of many”.
Sullivan said the coin will be part of a very limited production run, but the number has not yet been determined.
He said that the size and type of the coin have not been decided yet. Some commissioners noted Trump’s penchant for big things in defending the largest coin.
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