Coin marks 250th anniversary of US founding, featuring a sitting president's portrait
Priced at $2.44 per coin in rolls of 25; drops to $1.55 each in bags of 100
Collectible but valid as legal tender
![A $1 coin bearing the likeness of US President Donald Trump, unveiled by the US Treasury on Wednesday (local time). The coin was minted to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. [AFP/US Treasury]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/03/rcv.YNA.20260903.PAF20260903034001009_P1.jpg)
A gold-toned $1 coin bearing the face of US President Donald Trump has gone on sale. Struck to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, the coin is primarily a collectible but also functions as legal tender. Despite its gleaming appearance, it contains no actual gold.
The US Mint began selling the commemorative coin at noon Wednesday (local time), according to the mint.
A roll of 25 coins is priced at $61, working out to $2.44 per coin. A bag of 100 costs $154.50, bringing the per-coin price down to $1.55.
Trump's portrait dominates the obverse. Surrounding it are the inscriptions "LIBERTY," "In God We Trust" and "1776–2026," marking both the nation's founding year and its 250th anniversary.
The reverse features the presidential coat of arms — a bald eagle, the national bird, clutching an olive branch and a bundle of arrows — along with the numeral "250" symbolizing the anniversary.
What has drawn particular attention is that a sitting president's face now appears on a US coin.
Federal law generally prohibits placing the portrait of a living person on a $1 coin. However, a 2020 law authorizing the issuance of 250th-anniversary commemorative coins — passed during Trump's first administration — restricted that ban to the coin's reverse side, opening the door for a living person's likeness to appear on the obverse.
Trump's well-known affinity for gold is also reflected in the design. The coin is made primarily of copper, with 6 percent zinc, 3.5 percent manganese and 2 percent nickel added to produce the golden hue — but no actual gold was used.
The US Mint billed the coin as "by far the standout piece in any modern coin collection." Demand ahead of the sale was so heavy that the mint's website experienced intermittent outages.
Trump is not the first sitting US president to appear on a coin. A commemorative half-dollar issued in 1926 for the nation's 150th anniversary featured both then-President Calvin Coolidge and first President George Washington side by side.
sjy@heraldcorp.com
