The U.S. Treasury Department is weighing a proposal to mint a $1 commemorative coin featuring President Donald Trump as part of next year’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Draft designs show Trump’s profile on one side with the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” and the dates 1776 and 2026, while the reverse depicts him raising a fist in a pose resembling his reaction after surviving an assassination attempt at a 2024 campaign rally.

The edge bears the phrase “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT,” referencing his words to supporters after the attack.

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach confirmed the authenticity of the drafts in a post on X, saying, “No fake news here,” and adding that he looked forward to sharing more once the government shutdown ends.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reposted Beach’s message, while a department spokesperson told CNBC that a final design had not been chosen but that the early draft reflected “the enduring spirit of our country and democracy.”

Commemorative coins are legal tender but are not produced for general circulation, according to the U.S. Mint.

However, the inclusion of a living president’s portrait on both sides of the draft design has raised questions about legality.

A federal law signed by Trump in January 2021 allows the Treasury to mint coins marking the semiquincentennial, but the same statute prohibits featuring portraits of living persons on certain coin designs.

The debate touches on a long-standing American tradition. Since an 1866 Act of Congress, it has been law to only feature portraits of deceased individuals on currency and coinage to avoid “the appearance of a monarchy.”

The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco notes this practice has guided U.S. currency designs for over 150 years, making the draft coin highly unusual.

The Treasury has not yet clarified whether Trump’s likeness can legally appear on the 2026 commemorative issue.

Questions also remain about whether similar coins have ever been minted with images of living presidents.

For now, the proposal underscores both the symbolic weight of the U.S. semiquincentennial and the continuing influence of Trump on American political and cultural life.

Source: CNBC.