A federal arts panel, with members appointed by former President Donald Trump, unanimously approved a commemorative 24-carat gold coin featuring his image on Thursday.
The coin is part of a series the US Mint plans to produce to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this year.
The approval comes as part of ongoing efforts by Trump and his allies to place his name and image on buildings, government programs, and currency since his second term began in January 2025.
During a presentation by a US Mint official to the Commission of Fine Arts, the panel discussed the coin’s diameter, which could be up to three inches (7.6 cm). White House aide Chamberlain Harris, appointed to the commission this year, said Trump prefers the largest possible coin. “The larger the better,” she said before the panel approved it.
The coin depicts a stern-looking Trump leaning over a desk, based on a photograph displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. The US Mint will now finalize the coin’s dimensions, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expected to authorize its production.
US Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement that the coin “represents the enduring spirit of our country and democracy” and called Trump’s profile “emblematic” for the celebration.
The proposed coin has drawn criticism from Democrats and members of other federal arts committees. Senator Jeff Merkley argued that “Monarchs and dictators put their faces on coins, not leaders of a democracy,” while Donald Scarinci of the bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee noted that this coin differs from previous coins featuring presidents, such as Calvin Coolidge in 1926, because it will be larger and show Trump alone.
In addition to the gold coin, the Trump administration has proposed a separate $1 coin with his image that would enter circulation.
Legal experts say this could violate a law prohibiting the depiction of sitting or former presidents on circulating dollar coins until three years after their death. The gold coin, however, is a non-circulating collector coin, creating a potential loophole.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has also affixed his name to Washington buildings, a planned class of Navy warships, a visa program for wealthy foreigners, a government prescription drug website, and federal savings accounts for children.
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