US Mint Releases $1 Donald Trump Coin for America's 250th Anniversary

The United States Mint launched a special-edition $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump to commemorate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Within hours of going live on the agency's website, the release went out of stock amid high online demand.

The golden-colored pieces, which are made of an alloy comprising 88.5% copper along with zinc, manganese, and nickel, feature Trump's presidential portrait on the obverse (front) flanked by the words "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST". The reverse (back) depicts the US presidential seal stamped with "250".

The coins are legal tender and were put into active circulation, but the US Mint offered direct sales to collectors at a marked-up price:

• Rolls & Bags: A roll of 25 coins sells for $61, while a bag of 100 costs $154.50. A portion of the extra cost goes toward funding community-benefiting projects and organizations.
• Special Edition: The US Mint randomly inserted 250,000 coins carrying a special "July 4th" privy mark into the rolls and bags, noting these specific pieces were struck on Independence Day.
• High Demand: Online buyers faced an estimated wait time of up to one hour in virtual waiting rooms shortly after sales opened. By mid-afternoon, inventory for rolls showed "not currently in stock" while 100-coin bags were listed as unavailable.

The coins were also made available via vending machines inside the US Mint retail store located in Washington, DC.

Depicting a sitting president on US currency is extremely rare. While federal law tracing back to the Thayer Amendment of 1866 prohibits living individuals from appearing on paper banknotes, a separate law, the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, governs commemorative coins.

The 2020 statute explicitly bars portraits of a living person on the reverse side of coins. Because Trump’s profile appears on the front of the $1 coin, federal officials maintained that the design adheres strictly to the text of the law.

The last time a sitting president appeared on American currency was in 1926, when Calvin Coolidge was featured alongside George Washington on a commemorative half-dollar marking the nation's 150th anniversary.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the release, stating the coin "celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all". Bessent previously signaled that his department is also looking into issuing a $250 banknote featuring Trump, though paper currency requires explicit congressional exceptions.

Democratic lawmakers voiced strong opposition to the release. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, who previously co-sponsored unsuccessful legislation to block living presidents from appearing on currency, criticized the release:

"While monarchs put their faces on coins, America has never had and never will have a king. Our legislation would codify this country’s long-standing tradition of not putting living Presidents on American coins. Congress must pass it without delay."

"The Trump dollar coin is completely contrary to America’s democratic values. It’s unacceptable that Secretary Bessent and the Mint proceeded with the plan to produce and sell it."

Additional inventory for the collector rolls and bags is currently being manufactured by the US Mint.