Trump $1 coins now in circulation, U.S. Mint says

WASHINGTON —

A $1 gold-colored coin featuring the likeness of President Donald Trump began circulating Wednesday, officials with the U.S. Mint said.

One side of the coin features Trump’s face with the word “Liberty” engraved at the top. Beneath Trump’s face are the years 1776-2026, representing the nation’s 250th birthday.

The reverse side depicts the presidential seal with “250” inscribed at the center.

The coins can be used as legal tender.

Sale of the coins began at noon, with prices ranging from about $1.55 to $2.44 per coin.

A roll of 25 coins will cost $61, and a bag of 100 will cost $154.50, and the U.S. Mint said they randomly hid some special-issue coins among the rolls and bags. Those will be marked “July 4th,” because they were struck on that day, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

The coins drew criticism largely because federal law — particularly 31 U.S. Code 5112 –prohibits placing a living president’s likeness on U.S. currency.

However, the Treasury secretary can authorize special coins to be minted and issued under certain circumstances. Treasury officials call the coins “collectibles,” designed to commemorate America’s 250th birthday. They pointed to a precedent, saying that then-President Calvin Coolidge appeared alongside George Washington on the half-dollar for the nation’s 150th anniversary.

The Mint made its first dollar coins in 1794. Recent “golden dollar” coin production began in 2000 with the Sacagawea Golden Dollar. Golden dollar coins are not actually gold. They are made with an outer layer of manganese brass, giving them a golden color.

President Trump’s second term has come with several such brandings, or attempts at them that have become tangled up in lawsuits. That includes moves to put Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center, as well as the U.S. Institute for Peace, as Trump works to leave his stamp on history and Washington, D.C.