A federal arts commission whose members were replaced last October with Trump appointees has unanimously approved a design for a 24-carat gold commemorative coin bearing President Donald Trump’s likeness, officials said Thursday. The piece would commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary and is intended as a limited collector item rather than circulating currency.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the design unanimously. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a Trump nominee, is expected to direct that the coin be minted. In addition to the 24-carat commemorative coin, officials say two other coins featuring the president’s image are planned: a $1 coin meant for circulation and a one-ounce gold coin.
The proposal has met criticism from Democrats and some advisory bodies. A separate bipartisan federal panel recently declined to consider the gold coin proposal last month. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, criticized the plan, saying, “Only monarchs and dictators put their faces on coins, not leaders of a democracy.”
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has pursued several measures seen as efforts to shape his legacy, including renaming the Kennedy Center after himself and approving construction of a contentious White House ballroom. The coin plan is the latest of those initiatives to draw public debate.