Trump’s Face and Signature Are Coming to Some U.S. Money – A Simple Guide

What’s Going On? (Explained Like You’re 5)

Imagine the United States is about to have a huge birthday party—its 250th birthday! To celebrate, the government is making special money. Soon, you might see President Donald Trump’s signature on regular paper money (like the $100 bill) and his face on a special $1 coin. This has made some people ask: “Wait, isn’t it against the rules to put a living president on money?” Let’s break it down.

The Special $1 Coin for America’s 250th Anniversary

• The U.S. Mint (the place that makes coins) is creating $1 coins with Trump’s face to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary (called the semiquincentennial).
• The Trump administration says this is okay because of a 2020 law (the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act) that gives the Treasury Secretary authority to issue $1 coins “with designs emblematic of the U.S. semiquincentennial.”
• The coins use Trump’s current presidential portrait.
• Interestingly, the design was not the one suggested by a group of art experts (the president’s hand‑picked U.S. Commission of Fine Arts board). The Treasury Secretary has the final say.
• Pictures in the original article showed Trump’s face on the coin (from Fox News) and several versions of currency with his portrait (from AFP/Getty).

Trump’s Signature on the $100 Bill

• On a TV show (Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” on Monday), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent showed off new $100 bills.
• On the bottom left corner, there is a small signature of President Trump, just above Bessent’s own signature.
• Bessent’s signature will also appear on money.
• The Trump administration has been pushing to feature Trump on money using the justification that it marks America’s 250th anniversary.

Callout – Important Point!
Normally, a federal law says you cannot feature a living person’s image on U.S. money. Putting Trump’s signature (not a photo) on paper bills is being used as a clever way to follow that law, while still getting his mark on the money. The Independent has asked the Treasury Department for comment on these changes.

Why Does the Government Say This Is Legal?

• Bessent explained his two mandates as Treasury Secretary:
  1. The currency must say “In God We Trust” somewhere on it.
  2. There cannot be an image of a living person.
• But he argued that a living president can be on a coin because back in 1926 (America’s 150th anniversary), a coin with President Calvin Coolidge was made. “During the 150th, there was a Calvin Coolidge coin, so we can put living people’s images on a coin,” he said.
• The administration also relies on the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which gives Bessent authority to issue $1 coins for one year starting January 2026.

The Coolidge Coin Precedent

• A commemorative coin with Coolidge was issued while he was president in 1926 for the 150th anniversary.
• Those coins were controversial, and most were later melted down (as reported by the Washington Post).

The Art Experts’ Recommendation

• In January, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed several front‑and‑back design options for the $1 coin.
• The board members initially recommended a side‑profile portrait of Trump to be featured on the front.
• During that meeting, Megan Sullivan (acting chief of the U.S. Mint’s office of design management) assured members that “legal research from both the Mint and the Department of the Treasury determined that the proposed coin would not violate any laws and is legal under the law authorizing the minting of coins for the Sesquicentennial.”
• The Treasury Secretary still chose the current presidential portrait instead.

Other Trump Coins: The Gold Version

• The $1 coins are separate from special 24‑karat gold coins that also show a different image of Trump.

Stay Informed – Original Newsletter Note

The original report included a prompt to sign up for the daily “Inside Washington” email from The Independent:

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Summary

To sum up:

• The U.S. is celebrating its 250th birthday with special money.
• Trump’s signature will appear on $100 bills (a workaround to avoid the no‑living‑person‑image law).
• Trump’s face will appear on $1 coins under a 2020 anniversary law, similar to a Coolidge coin from 1926.
• The Treasury Secretary says it’s legal; the art committee suggested a different design but the Secretary had final say.
• A separate gold coin also features Trump.
• The Independent has asked the Treasury for comment, and you can sign up for their Washington email to follow updates.

FAQ

1. Can a living U.S. president be on money?
Usually, no—a federal law forbids images of living people on currency. But the law allows special $1 coins for anniversaries, and a signature (not an image) on paper bills is being used as a workaround.

2. What is the $1 Trump coin for?
It’s a commemorative coin from the U.S. Mint to mark America’s 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial), authorized by a 2020 law that gives the Treasury Secretary power to issue such coins.

3. Why is Trump’s signature on the $100 bill?
Treasury Secretary Bessent showed bills with Trump’s signature above his own. Since the law bans living‑person images on paper money, a signature is a way to include Trump without breaking that rule.

4. Was there a similar coin before?
Yes, in 1926 a coin featuring President Calvin Coolidge was issued for the 150th anniversary. It was controversial and most were melted.

5. Are there other Trump coins?
Yes, there are also 24‑karat gold coins with a different picture of Trump, separate from the $1 circulating coins.