Trump $1 coin enters circulation — first living person on US currency since 1866

Full text

President Donald Trump has made his way onto U.S. currency.

The U.S. Mint announced Wednesday that $1 coins bearing Trump’s portrait are now in circulation and available for purchase to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. It’s the first time a living person has appeared on U.S. currency since 1866.

The coins are being sold in 25- or 100-coin packages, starting at $61. They cost $1.55 to $2.44 a piece, depending on the package. The coin’s face features the inscriptions, “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST,” while the tail features the presidential seal with “250” inscribed on the shield.

The coin’s circulation marks a win for the Trump administration, which has worked to emblazon the president’s portrait on American currency despite centuries of tradition that has precluded any living individual from appearing on it.

It’s also the latest move by the administration to cement the president’s legacy on the nation’s identity, emblazoning his name or portrait on buildings like the Kennedy Center , on banners draped over federal buildings, on passports , on National Parks passes and on a million-dollar “gold card” visa rolled out last year.

In 1866, Congress prohibited the portrait of any living person from appearing on “currency notes, bonds or securities” after a Treasury Department official had his portrait appear on a 5-cent note. Trump signed bipartisan legislation in 2020 giving the Treasury power to issue $1 coins “with designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial” in 2026.

Trump has also proposed a $250 bill with his portrait, a legally ambitious initiative that would make him the first living person to appear on U.S. paper currency in centuries.

The newly minted coins made an appearance earlier this week on the sidelines of the G20 summit in North Carolina, where Treasury staffers handed out some to foreign counterparts. One finance minister was surprised to hear that the coin would be in circulation in the U.S.

The Treasury Department and U.S. Mint did not immediately respond to a request for comment.