This event marks the second time in US history that a living president has appeared on a coin.
The coin was issued to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The idea was first proposed last year and immediately faced controversy, accompanied by questions about its legality.
On one side of the coin is a portrait of President Trump and the words "Liberty", "In God We Trust" and "1776-2026". The other side is an eagle holding an olive branch, its claws clawed with arrows, below is a ribbon bearing the words "E Pluribus Unum".
The US Mint began selling this type of coin on the agency's website from noon on September 2 (US time), at a price 50% higher than par value. According to the listing, a bag of 100 coins costs 154.50 USD.
The legal basis for the issuance is a law passed in 2020, allowing the US Treasury Department to cast 1 USD denomination coins in 2026 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the nation, "with symbolic designs for the 250th anniversary of the United States".
Ministry of Finance officials have spoken out to defend the new design, citing the precedent of President Calvin Coolidge's image once appearing on a coin on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the United States.
The controversy surrounding the new coin originated from a regulation that had existed for two decades. In 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Presidential $1 Coin Act, directing the US Mint to issue a series of $1 coins honoring past US presidents. Accompanying condition: only applicable to those who have been dead for at least 2 years.
The program to issue presidential coins under this law was suspended by the US Mint in 2011.
