The President is also slated to appear on a number of coins, including a commemorative 24-karat gold coin and a $1 coin that will reportedly circulate as currency. In March, the design of the gold coin was unanimously approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump earlier this year.
Despite objections, including from some members of the federal advisory body Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, the Trump Administration has cited two statutes as legal basis for issuing the coins. Section 5112 of Chapter 31 of the U.S. Code gives the Treasury Secretary discretion to prescribe, “from time to time,” the “specifications, designs, varieties, quantities, denominations and inscriptions” of certain gold coins. The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 also temporarily authorizes the Treasury Secretary to issue $1 coins “with designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial” for the year 2026.The Treasury also announced in March that it would feature Trump’s signature on paper currency, which would be a first for a sitting President. Treasurer Brandon Beach said at the time that the design was in honor of the country’s semiquincentennial.