A federal commission on the arts, with members appointed by Donald Trump, has unanimously approved the release of a commemorative, gold coin bearing his likeness!
Critics of Donald Trump, including Democrats and members of another federal arts commission, have pointed out that minting a coin with the image of a sitting president goes against American values, especially this year as the country celebrates 250 years of independence.
During a presentation by a Mint official to the Fine Arts Committee, the discussion turned to the diameter that the 24-karat gold coin should have, the maximum being three inches.
Chamberlain Harris, a White House adviser appointed this year to the commission, said Trump would prefer the larger coin. “The bigger, the better,” she commented.
The Mint will determine the final dimensions of the currency. Trump has already approved the design and Treasury Secretary Scott Besed will give the order to mint it.
The White House referred for clarification to the Treasury Department, which did not immediately respond, nor did the Mint, to a request for comment.
The coin will depict Trump, grim-faced, leaning forward on a desk, looking ahead. It is based on a photograph of him at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
“Monarchs and dictators put their faces on coins, not the leaders of a democracy,” said Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley.
“The Trump administration’s decision to put his face on a commemorative coin is an attempt to distort the meaning of the 250th anniversary of independence,” he added.
The administration has also proposed minting a different $1 coin, with Trump’s image on it, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
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Donald Scarinci, a member of the bipartisan Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Currency – the other federal commission that last month refused to approve the gold coin – said the $1 coin would clearly violate the law: it is illegal to depict sitting or former presidents until three years after their death.
There is, however, a “loophole” when it comes to the gold coin because, unlike the $1 coin, the gold coin is collectible and will not be circulated on the market.
Scarinci recalled that, by law, both his own commission and the Fine Arts Commission must approve the minting of any coin. “Nevertheless, we expect they will go ahead unabated and mint both coins,” he said.
The gold coin proposal is the latest attempt by the administration to put Trump’s name on various public institutions in the US.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has put his name on iconic Washington buildings, a planned class of warships, a visa program for wealthy foreigners, a prescription drug site and a children’s savings account program.
He also renamed the John F. Kennedy Memorial Arts Center the “Trump-Kennedy Center” and the Peace Institute the “Donald J. Trump Peace Institute,” three months before he launched the war in Iran.
