March 19, 2026 / 10:11 PM EDT / AP
A federal arts commission on Thursday approved the final design for a 24‑karat gold commemorative coin bearing President Donald J. Trump’s image to mark America’s 250th birthday on July 4.
The vote by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Mr. Trump earlier this year and are supporters of the president, was unanimous and clears the way for the U.S. Mint to begin production, though the coin’s size and denomination remain under discussion.
“As we approach our 250th birthday, we are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving President, Donald J. Trump,” U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement.
The move is an unprecedented use of federal authority to place a living president’s likeness on U.S. coinage, circumventing the longstanding custom that keeps living presidents off circulating currency. Megan Sullivan, acting chief of the Office of Design Management at the Mint, said the Treasury secretary has authority to authorize new 24‑karat gold coins and that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has used that authority to put Mr. Trump on the coin.
Sullivan presented the coin’s final design at the commission meeting and said Mr. Trump had approved it. “It is my understanding that the secretary of the Treasury presented this design, as well as others, to the president and these were his selection,” she said.
The White House and the Mint did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The coin’s obverse shows Mr. Trump in a suit and tie, leaning forward with his fists resting on what is depicted as a desk, a stern expression on his face. “LIBERTY” arcs across the top, with the dates 1776–2026 beneath. “IN GOD WE TRUST” appears at the bottom, flanked by seven stars on one side and six on the other. The reverse depicts a bald eagle in midflight with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” on the right and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” on the left.
“I know it’s a very strong and a very tough image of him, and I think it’s fitting to have a current sitting president who’s presiding over the country over the 250th year on a commemorative coin for said year,” said Commissioner Chamberlain Harris, a top White House aide to Mr. Trump.
Sullivan said the coin will be part of a “very limited production run,” though the total number has not been decided. The Mint has also not settled on the coin’s size or denomination. Officials have considered a coin larger than the Mint’s 1‑ounce gold coin (about 1.3 inches in diameter); the Mint’s largest coin is 3 inches, and Sullivan said they were “looking somewhere in there.”
“I think the president likes big things,” said Commissioner James McCrery II, who previously worked on Mr. Trump’s White House ballroom design proposal. Harris, who serves as a special assistant to the president and deputy director of the Oval Office, agreed, saying she believed “the larger the better” and that the largest size would likely be the president’s preference.
The decision adds to a series of moves placing Mr. Trump’s name and likeness on public institutions and projects, following actions such as renaming buildings and proposals for other tributes.
