President Donald Trump’s likeness is officially headed to the U.S. Mint.
The Treasury Department has unveiled a new gold-colored $1 coin featuring Trump’s portrait, placing the president at the center of America’s 250th-anniversary celebrations.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Wednesday that production is beginning at the Philadelphia Mint, with the collectible coin expected to become available in rolls and bags this fall.
“As America commemorates 250 years of independence, the U.S. Mint will begin striking this new $1 gold coin to honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism,” Bessent wrote.
“Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all,” he added in a statement displayed on the Treasury Department’s website.
Despite Bessent describing it as a “gold coin,” the dollar contains no actual gold. It is made with manganese brass and has a gold-colored finish, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. The coin is slightly larger than a quarter.
Trump’s portrait appears on the front alongside the inscriptions “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST” and the anniversary dates “1776–2026.” The reverse features a Great Seal-inspired eagle holding an olive branch, a shield bearing the number “250” and the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” and “ONE DOLLAR.”
The final design differs dramatically from an early proposal that depicted Trump raising his fist following the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. That version included the rallying cry “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” on the reverse.
The new eagle design also avoids a potential legal complication. The 2020 law governing the anniversary coin program prohibits the portrait of a living person from appearing on the reverse of a coin, but does not impose the same restriction on the front. Treasury and Mint officials concluded that placing Trump’s portrait on the obverse complies with the law.
Although intended primarily for collectors, the Trump dollar will be legal tender. Federal law directs Treasury and the Federal Reserve to make America 250 coins available for both commerce and collectors. The U.S. Mint previously released three proposed Trump portraits and several possible eagle designs for consideration.
The coin program itself dates back to the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which authorized special designs celebrating the nation’s semiquincentennial. Trump signed the legislation on Jan. 13, 2021, during the final days of his first term.
Trump will not be the first sitting president whose face has appeared on an American coin, but he will be the first in a century.
In 1926, the Mint released a commemorative half-dollar featuring Presidents George Washington and Calvin Coolidge to mark America’s 150th anniversary. Coolidge was still in office, making him the first president depicted on a U.S. coin during his lifetime, according to the Mint’s historical archive.
The Trump coin is only one part of Treasury’s effort to place the president’s mark on America’s 250th birthday.
Newly printed paper currency will also feature Trump’s signature alongside Bessent’s, making Trump the first sitting president to have his signature placed on U.S. money. Treasury announced the change in March and expects the new bills to reach the public this fall.
“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S. dollar bills bearing his name,” Bessent said in the March announcement.
The department has also prepared a prototype $250 bill featuring Trump’s portrait, but Congress would need to approve the new denomination before it could enter production.
