What you need to know: US launches coin featuring Trump’s face

What the report says

The US Mint has begun circulating and selling a new $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump’s portrait as part of plans tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary, according to Al Jazeera. The release was announced for Tuesday at noon Eastern Time, with the coin described by the Mint as commemorative of the country’s semiquincentennial.

The gold-colored coin shows Trump on one side with the words “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST,” while the other side carries an image of the presidential seal and the number “250.” Al Jazeera reported that the mint said the design is meant to reflect the “spirit, pride, and legacy” of the nation’s upcoming milestone. The article also noted that the coin is being sold at a premium despite having a face value of $1.

The move has drawn criticism because US currency has traditionally featured only deceased individuals. Al Jazeera said this is the first time in nearly 100 years that a living person has appeared on US currency. The report added that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent first announced the plan in July and that the administration has pointed to earlier commemorative coins as precedent.

The article also said federal law generally bars portraits of living people on currency, though Trump signed a 2020 law allowing $1 coins for the 250th anniversary. Critics, including Democratic senators who proposed blocking the design, argued that putting a living president on a coin breaks with longstanding US tradition.