The US government has today released a new $1 coin bearing the image of President Donald Trump. This currency item is considered legal tender, although scholars have stated it should be illegal.
A long-standing US tradition, dating back to the late 1700s, prevents the likeness of living individuals from appearing on US currency. In 1866, Congress passed an amendment specifically barring the “portrait or likeness” of living people on paper money.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has argued that the coin is permissible, citing the appearance of then-President Calvin Coolidge on a coin during America's 150th celebration. Gabriel Mathy, an associate professor of economics at American University, stated he would consider the Trump coin illegal, noting that many US laws are more akin to unenforced norms.
In May, Democratic members of Congress wrote to the Treasury Department urging them to stop the coin's production, referencing a 2005 law that further restricted which presidents could appear on coins. A federal judge in June denied a motion to block the coin, though the ruling did not determine its legality.
The new $1 coin, which appears gold but is made from zinc, manganese, nickel, and copper, costs $61 for 25 coins. Around 9 million coins are being produced, intended to “honor 250 years of great American heritage,” according to the US Mint.