Treasury Advances Proposal for 2026 Commemorative Coin Featuring Former President Trump
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Treasury Department is considering a proposal for a commemorative $1 coin honoring former President Donald Trump as part of the 2026 celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a move that could potentially break with past precedent. the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) recently recommended the design for the coin, bringing the proposal one step closer to potential approval.
The proposed coin design features a side profile of President Trump on the obverse,accompanied by the words “Liberty” and “In God We Trust,” and the dates “1776 – 2026.” The reverse depicts Trump raising his fist following an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, with the inscription ”FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.”
Currently,U.S. law (31 U.S. Code § 5112) generally prohibits depicting a living president on currency, stating that a president may not be featured until two years after leaving office or death. Though, the 2020 Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act (H.B. 1923) created ambiguity regarding the application of this rule to special $1 coins designed to commemorate the 2026 anniversary. It remains unclear whether the law permits featuring a sitting or former president on these commemorative coins.
Commemorative coins have a history of reflecting public sentiment and generating significant collector interest. Past accomplished commemorative coins include:
* 1986 Statue of Liberty coin: Nearly 15.5 million units sold.
* 1982 George Washington half dollar: 7.1 million coins sold.
* 1983 U.S. Olympic coins: Over 5 million units sold.
* 1987 U.S. bicentennial Constitution coin: Sales exceeded 4 million.
Analysts suggest that, given former President Trump’s dedicated base of supporters and collectors of presidential memorabilia, a Trump commemorative coin could potentially surpass the sales records of previous commemorative issues.
