US Mint Releases $1 Coin Featuring Trump To Commemorate The 250Th Anniversary Are They Legal? Here's What The Law Says

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump has become the first sitting president in almost a century to feature on a US coin designed for circulation. On Wednesday (local time), the US Mint began selling the gold-toned $1 coin bearing Trump's image.

The coin, which is now available, according to the US Mint's website, is being issued as part of celebrations marking the country's 250th anniversary. Its release marks the first time since former US President Calvin Coolidge appeared on a 1926 commemorative coin that a sitting president has been featured on US coinage.

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The gold-toned $1 coin features Trump's portrait on the obverse, alongside the inscriptions“LIBERTY”,“IN GOD WE TRUST” and“1776~2026”. The reverse features an illustration of the Presidential Seal, with“250” inscribed on the shield, Al Jazeera reported. According to the US Mint, these coins "capture the spirit, pride, and legacy of a nation approaching its landmark anniversary."

However, the release of the new $1 coin has sparked controversy over the decision to feature a sitting president on US currency, breaking with a longstanding tradition.

What does the US law say?

The law dates back to 1866, when Congress introduced the measure after objecting to an official placing his own portrait on US currency. Known as the Thayer Amendment, the law prohibits the portrait of any living person from appearing on US notes, although the restriction does not apply to coins.

According to Al Jazeera, the measure was proposed by Spencer M Clark, then superintendent of the National Currency Bureau, after he placed his own image on a five-cent fractional note.

Additionally, the federal law states,“Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities.” However, Trump allies in Congress have introduced legislation seeking to create an exception to this rule, although the proposal is currently stalled, BBC reported.

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At the time, referring to Coolidge, the current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent highlighted that another living US President had been featured on a half-dollar in 1926, when Washington commemorated its 150th anniversary.

Is the new $1 coin featuring Trump illegal?

The latest coin cannot be considered illegal since, in 2020, during Trump's first term, he signed legislation known as the Circulating Collection Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (CCRA), which allowed the US Treasury the authority to mint $1 coins“with designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial." The legislation also barred the portrait of "any person, living or dead” on the tail of those coins.

Additionally, while the law barred the portrait of "any person, living or dead” on the tail side of the coin, Trump's image appears to be on the front side, indicating that it likely complied with the law.

The $1 coin featuring Trump's image is the latest addition to the list of government properties and initiatives that the Trump administration has sought to associate with the US President.

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