Trump-appointed panel approves gold coin with his image
· Michael West
A US arts commission has approved the final design for a 24-carat gold commemorative coin bearing President Donald Trump’s image to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday on July 4.
The vote by the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members are supporters of the Republican president and were appointed by him earlier in 2026, was without objection.
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It clears the way for the US mint to begin production on the coin, whose size and denomination are still under discussion.
“As we approach our 250th birthday, we are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving President, Donald J Trump,” US Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement.
The unprecedented move marks yet another example of Trump and his allies circumventing conventional past presidential practices – and even the law – to get what he wants.
It’s the latest instance of Trump putting his name and likeness in the historical archive, following his renaming of the US Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Centre performing arts venue and a new class of battleships, among other tributes.
Donald Trump has already put his name to the John F Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts. (AP PHOTO)Federal law says no living president can appear on US currency. But Megan Sullivan, the acting chief of the Office of Design Management at the Mint, said the Treasury secretary has authority to authorise the minting and issuance of new 24-carat gold coins, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has used to get around that prohibition.
Sullivan presented the coin’s final design at the commission’s March meeting on Thursday, US time, and said Trump had approved it.
“It is my understanding that the secretary of the Treasury presented this design, as well as others, to the president and these were his selection,” Sullivan said.
The front of the coin features an image of Trump in a suit and tie and with a stern look on his face.
His fists rest on top of what is supposed to be a desk as he leans forward. Lettering on the top half of the coin spells “LIBERTY” in a slight arc.
Directly underneath that are the dates 1776-2026. The words “IN GOD WE TRUST” are at the bottom, with seven stars on one side of the coin and six stars on the other side.
The reverse side depicts a bald eagle mid-flight with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and US motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, meaning “out of many, one” in Latin.
The coin will be part of a very limited production run, Sullivan said, but the number has not been determined.
The size and denomination of the coin also have not yet been decided, she said. Some commissioners noted Trump’s fondness for big things as they advocated for the largest size coin.