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 likeness to mark America’s 250th birthday on July 4.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts voted unanimously, clearing the way for the U.S. Mint to begin production, though the coin’s size and denomination have not been decided. Commission members, who were appointed by Mr. Trump earlier this year and are supporters of the president, backed the design.
“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 represents an unprecedented use of federal authority to place the image of a living president on U.S. coinage, sidestepping the long-standing 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 the authority to authorize new 24‑karat gold coins and that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has used that authority to place Mr. Trump on the coin.
Sullivan presented the final design at the meeting and said the president 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 obverse shows Mr. Trump in a suit and tie leaning forward with his fists resting on a desk and a stern expression. “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 produced in a “very limited production run,” though the total mintage has not been set. Officials are still considering the coin’s size and denomination. They have discussed options larger than the Mint’s 1‑ounce gold coin (about 1.3 inches in diameter); the Mint’s largest coin is 3 inches in diameter, 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 that “the larger the better,” saying she believed the biggest size would likely be the president’s preference.
The decision follows a series of actions that have placed Mr. Trump’s name and likeness on public institutions and projects, including building renamings and proposals for other tributes.