President Donald Trump has made an unusual entry into U.S. currency history, with his likeness appearing on an American $1 coin — reportedly making him the first sitting or living president featured on such a coin — and collectors snapped it up within hours.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach told Our News Outlet that officials first explored placing Trump’s portrait on a proposed $250 bill tied to America’s 250th anniversary, only to learn that creating such a note would require approval from Congress.
With major legislation moving slowly on Capitol Hill, Beach said the administration turned instead to authority already available, allowing Trump’s image to be used on a $1 coin.
According to Beach, he reached out to the White House photography team and received a dozen images of Trump for consideration. Mint officials then created sample versions of the coin and presented them to the president, who chose the final portrait himself.
“This is what he picked,” Beach said. “It came out last week. We sold out in four hours.”
The U.S. Mint offered the Trump $1 coins through a pre-release sale, pricing rolls of 25 at $61 — well above their $25 face value — while bags containing 100 coins were listed for $154.50.
Although the coins have a gold-like shine, they contain no gold. The composition is an alloy of copper, zinc, manganese and nickel. A limited run of 250,000 coins struck on July 4 also features a special “July 4th” privy mark.
Beach said the higher collector-style pricing would not last indefinitely.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach told Our News Outlet that the administration originally considered a Trump portrait for a $250 bill commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary, but officials found that congressional legislation would be required
At the convention, many Trump supporters did not appear troubled by the premium price. Karen Love, from the Dallas area, said she had not known about the coin until asked, but called the cost “fair” and said it could become a “memorial kind of thing”
The U.S. Mint sold the coins in a pre-release offering, with rolls of 25 priced at $61, compared with their $25 face value. Beach said the Trump dollar coin should reach U.S. banks “within the next month”
“You can get these at a bank in the next month,” Beach said. “You should be able to go into a bank like you get a roll of quarters, you should be able to get a roll of Trump coins, dollar coins, and then you can go out and use them as legal tender and spend them.”
The coin is already proving controversial, with Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada calling it ‘completely contrary to America’s democratic values’ and previously introducing legislation with Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley to block living presidents from appearing on US currency.
A legal challenge has also been filed, arguing that putting a living president’s likeness on U.S. currency violates federal law.
Nine million coins were struck, with 8.75 million initially put up for sale by the Mint, while the rarer July 4-marked versions are already being offered for hundreds of dollars online, far above their $1 face value.
And for those who want to spend rather than collect them, Beach said the coins should soon be available through banks just like rolls of quarters.
‘You should be able to go into a bank like you get a roll of quarters, you should be able to get a roll of Trump coins, dollar coins, and then you can go out and use them as legal tender and spend them.’
Asked whether it was appropriate to honor a sitting president on money while American forces were fighting a war with Iran, Beach did not hesitate.
‘No, listen, this is our 250th birthday. We’re proud to be Americans,’ he said. ‘I love this country. I’m unapologetic about loving America and being part of a great country, and we should all love this country. And we should love our president and respect our president and be happy that we got a dollar coin with his image on it.’
At the Republican convention in Dallas, where the coin was the talk of the floor, the price drew shrugs.
Actor John Schneider was the most emphatic.
‘I think it’s fantastic,’ the Dukes of Hazzard star said. ‘He’s done so much for our country, not only in our country, but globally, that I think it’s a wonderful, wonderful kind of award for him and he deserves it.’
Schneider said he saw the coins as ‘nostalgia’ and ‘honor’ rather than investment. ‘I don’t think a lot of people talk about honoring President Trump, and I don’t know why,’ he said.
Denise Hopkins, from Mandeville, Louisiana, called the coin ‘very cool’ and rattled off its uses: ‘souvenirs, keepsakes, Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers.’
Roy Parker, of Carrollton, Texas, said of Trump becoming the first living president on a U.S. dollar coin: ‘I would absolutely love that,’ citing ‘everything that he’s done for this country.’
Michael Walton, from Dallas, was more clear-eyed about the markup. ‘It’s probably going to end up being a novelty. So it’s not unexpected.’
Karen Love, from the Dallas area, had not heard of the coin until asked, but called $61 ‘fair’ and guessed it would become a ‘memorial kind of thing.’
Schneider had no ceiling at all.
‘I’d spend $90 to honor him,’ he said. ‘Why not 100? I’ll do it.’
