The United States Mint is putting on sale one-dollar coins with the face of President Donald Trump to, it said, commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary. The pieces, which are sold in rolls of 25 units or bags of 100, sold out in the first 24 hours. Although federal law prohibits the inclusion of a sitting president on the engraving of a coin, the Treasury Department has the power to determine some exceptions.

First modification: 09/03/2026 - 19:44 Last modification: 09/03/2026 - 19:51

One-dollar coins engraved with President Donald Trump's face went on sale Wednesday, September 2, the United States Mint announced.

The project drew some criticism due to federal law that prohibits the depiction of a sitting president on U.S. currency.

However, the Secretary of the Treasury has the authority to authorize the minting and issuance of special coins under certain circumstances. What was that extraordinary situation that led Trump to the one dollar coin?

US 250th Anniversary

The Donald Trump tribute dollar coins were minted to "honor 250 years of great American heritage," the U.S. Mint wrote on its website.

This commemoration, officially known as the United States Semiquincentennial, was commemorated on July 4, 2026, two and a half centuries after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of 1776.

For this anniversary, the Government launched some programs such as Task Force 250, created by an executive order of January 29, 2025, with the aim of coordinating a full year of celebrations, which began at the end of May 2025 with Memorial Day and will extend until the end of 2026.

The United States Mint said it randomly hid some special edition coins among the rolls and bags, which will be marked "July 4" because they were minted that day. All pieces are numbered 250 within the Great Seal of the United States.

Due to the national anniversary, the Mint made one-year changes to iconic U.S. coins such as the dime, quarter, fifty cent and one dollar.

Read also 250 years later: is the American dream facing its greatest identity test under the Trump era?

A design to eternalize Trump

The golden piece, which can be used as legal tender, has on one side the serious face of the Republican with the phrase "In God We Trust" and on the other side the Great Seal of the United States with the bald eagle holding arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. A flag he holds in his beak reads “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” which in Latin means “from many, one.”

The obverse was designed by United States Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna, inspired by an official White House photograph taken by Daniel Torok. The coin weighs 8.1 grams, is 26 mm in diameter and is composed primarily of copper, as well as 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese and 2% nickel, according to the Mint's briefing note.

"Golden dollar coins are not solid gold. They are made with an outer layer of manganese brass, which gives them a golden color," the Mint said.

To display this content from , you must allow audience measurement and advertising cookies.

The United States Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, was in charge of approving the proposal. Previously, the president said that the idea of ​​stamping his face on a coin was "very unusual" but that he felt "honored" by it.

It is not the first attempt to immortalize Trump in some American symbol. The president's second term has brought with it several such initiatives, or attempts to carry them out, that have been mired in litigation. This includes efforts to put Trump's name on the Kennedy Center and the United States Institute of Peace.

In fact, the Republican wrote on his networks on Wednesday: "Now that it is under US control, should we change the name of the Strait of Hormuz to the Strait of Trump?"

Calvin Coolidge, president of the United States between 1923 and 1929, had been the only president to appear on a coin during his presidency, although in a commemorative edition, not a mass circulation one.

Read alsoTrump's United States: 250 years under a new narrative

How much do the coins cost?

The roll of 25 one-dollar coins with Donald Trump's face went on sale for $61, while the bag of 100 units is sold for $154.50.

Due to high demand, the Treasury Department enabled a virtual queue on the website minutes before the sale officially began. Some shoppers encountered a counter estimating the wait at more than an hour.

Until now, only two orders can be placed per family unit. Late Wednesday, the US Mint's website posted: "This item is now available for order, but is currently out of stock. Inventory is being replenished."

The organization detailed that part of the additional cost of purchasing commemorative coins goes to "organizations and projects that benefit the community." At the moment, it is unknown how many units have been sold or the number of orders processed.

With AP and local media

Related keywords

The content you requested does not exist or is no longer available.