United States President Donald Trump has become the first living American president in a century to have his portrait featured on US currency after the US Mint released a special-edition $1 coin bearing his image.
The coin was launched on Wednesday as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Trump’s portrait appears alongside the inscriptions “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST”.
The US Mint said the special-edition coin was designed to capture “the spirit, pride, and legacy” of the United States as it approaches the landmark anniversary.
The coins were sold for $61 for a roll of 25 and $154.50 for a bag of 100. Within hours of going on sale, the Mint’s website listed the coins as out of stock.
The coins were also made available through vending machines at the US Mint store in Washington, DC.
Although the coins have a golden appearance, they contain no actual gold.
The US Mint said they are made up of 88.5 per cent copper, with zinc, manganese and nickel making up the remainder.
The release marks the first time in about 100 years that a living president has appeared on US currency.
In 1926, then-President Calvin Coolidge appeared on a commemorative half-dollar issued to mark the 150th anniversary of the United States.
Federal law prohibits the use of images of living people on US banknotes. However, the restrictions have traditionally not applied in the same way to coins.
The Trump administration has also pointed to the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which bars portraits of living people on the reverse side of coins but does not explicitly prohibit them on the obverse, or heads side.
The latest coin comes after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in May that the administration was considering a new $250 bill featuring Trump’s portrait.
Trump allies in Congress have introduced legislation seeking to create an exception to the restrictions on depicting living presidents on US currency, although the proposal has yet to advance.
