It’s America’s 250th birthday, and Donald Trump is making sure he gets a spot on the souvenir.A new $1 coin marking the anniversary went on sale Wednesday with the president’s portrait on one side and the Great Seal of the United States on the other.The coins, issued by the US mint, can be used as legal tender. But their launch has also attracted criticism because federal law bars the depiction of a living president on US currency, although there are provisions allowing the Treasury Secretary to authorise special coins in certain circumstances.The coin’s design features Trump’s visage as “heads”, while the Great Seal of the United States serves as “tails”. Trump’s portrait carries the inscriptions “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “LIBERTY”, while “1776 (tilde) 2026” appears below his face.The reverse shows the Great Seal, with a bald eagle holding arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other. A banner held in its beak carries the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” Latin for “out of many, one.”The design received approval this year from the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. The president had earlier called the idea of putting his face on a coin “very unusual”, but said he was “honored by it.”The US mint said the coins were struck to “honor 250 years of great American heritage.”
Trump coin out of stock
The coins went on sale at noon Wednesday, but appeared to be out of stock by the afternoon.A roll of 25 coins costs $61, while a bag of 100 costs $154.50. At the same time, some special-issue coins had been randomly placed among the rolls and bags.The mint’s website later stated, “This item is available to be ordered now, but it is not currently in stock. Additional inventory is being made.”The 100-coin bag was listed as unavailable, while the 25-coin roll carried the same message shortly after 3pm.Just after 12.30pm, visitors to the website were placed in a waiting area with an estimated wait time of one hour. Purchases were limited to two per household until 2pm on Thursday, with buyers given 10 minutes to complete their orders.The website also warned, “Product availability is not guaranteed.” Furthermore, the coins would also be found in circulation, with the authority urging people to “check your pocket change.”Among the coins, 250,000 have been given a special-issue “July 4th” privy mark. Mint said that these coins were randomly included in the rolls and bags because they were struck on July 4, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.Describing this as a “special offering”, the mint said, “250,000 Semiquincentennial President Donald J. Trump $1 Coins with a special-issue ‘July 4th’ privy mark have been randomly included in the Rolls & Bags. These coins were struck on July 4th.”Although the coin has a gold appearance, it is made from a mix of copper, zinc, manganese and nickel. Part of the additional cost of commemorative coins goes towards “organizations and projects that benefit the community”, according to the mint’s website.
Special law for Trump’s portrait
The use of Trump’s image on the coin comes despite US law prohibiting the display of a sitting president or living former president on US currency.In anticipation of America’s 250th anniversary, however, Congress passed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act. The legislation allows the US Treasury to mint special $1 coins to mark the event.The law also states, “No head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person, living or dead, and no portrait of a living person may be included in the design on the reverse of specified coins.”Trump’s portrait appears on the front of the coin, rather than the reverse, appearing to comply with the law.The treasury secretary also has authority in some circumstances to approve the minting and issuance of special coins.The only other time a living president was featured on a US coin was in 1926, when Calvin Coolidge appeared on a half dollar marking the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, according to the mint.The coin is also part of a wider series of branding efforts associated with Trump’s second term that have become tangled up in lawsuits.These include moves to put Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center and the US Institute of Peace, as the president seeks to leave his stamp on history and Washington, DC.CNN reached out to the Treasury Department for information on the coins’ availability and the number of orders placed. It also sought information on where the surcharge money from the coins will go.