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By Anna Commander
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A federal arts commission approving the final design for a 24-karat gold commemorative coin emblazoned with President Donald Trump's likeness has sparked backlash online Thursday night, as the Associated Press (AP) reported the currency's approval.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), whose members were appointed earlier this year by Trump, advanced the design without objection, though the coin’s final size and denomination remain undecided, the AP reports.
Newsweek reached out to the Treasury Department via email on Thursday night for comment.
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Why It Matters
The move represented an unprecedented step toward depicting a sitting president on a U.S. coin during his lifetime, a sharp break with historical norms.
The Trump administration has argued it has authority under recent coin laws, while critics said the measure risks violating long‑standing restrictions on featuring living people on currency and intensifying partisan battles over the nation’s 250th‑anniversary symbols.
What To Know
Megan Sullivan, acting chief of the U.S. Mint’s Office of Design Management, told commissioners that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent authorized the coin and that Trump approved the final design, the AP reports.
“It is my understanding that the secretary of the Treasury presented this design, as well as others, to the president and these were his selection,” Sullivan said.
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The coin features Trump in a suit and tie with a stern expression, the AP notes, with the word “LIBERTY,” the dates “1776–2026,” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” with 13 stars, while the reverse shows a bald eagle with inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
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The commemorative coin's approval sparked backlash online Thursday night.
Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger said on X, "This is creepy. A bunch of pervs."
Christopher Webb, self-described Democrat and strategist with over 150,000 followers on X, said: "Trump’s obsession with himself is wildly out of touch! We’re at war, families are scraping by, campaign promises broken. And Trump’s priority is a gold coin with his face on it. Folks are asking for relief, not collectibles for the rich!"
The X account Republicans Against Trump also reacted to the news on Thursday, saying, "JUST IN: Trump’s handpicked Commission of Fine Arts approved a general design for a 24k gold commemorative coin for the U.S. 250th anniversary featuring Trump’s image. 'I motion to approve this as presented, and with the strong encouragement that you make it as large as possible, all the way to three inches in diameter,' the commission’s vice chair, James McCrery, said. Separately, the Treasury has said it plans to issue a $1 Trump coin that the Commission of Fine Arts approved in January. Straight-up banana republic stuff."
Commissioners discussed a limited mintage and debated sizes, roughly from the Mint’s standard 1‑ounce format to larger ones up to about 3 inches in diameter, though final specifications were not set, according to the AP.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Representative Nellie Pou of New Jersey, on X Thursday: "Fitting, so you’re reminded who’s causing your gas, energy, and grocery bills to be more expensive."
Author and political commentator Eddie S. Glaude Jr., on X Thursday: "Ain’t this some #%*&"
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, in a statement, per the AP: “As we approach our 250th birthday, we are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving President, Donald J. Trump.”
What Happens Next
The U.S. Mint is expected to continue working on the coin’s specifications as production operations advance.
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