Donald Trump has made history as the first sitting US president to appear on a $1 coin. The commemorative coin was issued to mark the country's 250th anniversary, according to infohub.kz.
The US Mint has released an image of the dollar coin on its official website. In a statement, the agency said: "In honor of a historic milestone in American history, an official $1 commemorative coin has been issued to celebrate 250 years of great American heritage. The obverse (front) features a portrait of the sitting president, Donald J. Trump, with the inscriptions LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and 1776 ~ 2026."
The design of the obverse is based on the official photographic portrait of Trump released by the White House. The reverse features the presidential seal: an eagle holding an olive branch and a bundle of arrows, with a shield on its chest inscribed with "250," and in its beak a banner reading "E PLURIBUS UNUM" ("Out of many, one"). Also inscribed are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "ONE DOLLAR."
Mint officials clarified: "Coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint have a finish suitable for circulation, but they have never been released into circulation. Nevertheless, they may still be used as legal tender."
As CNN notes, there is a ban in the US on depicting a sitting president or a living former head of state on coins. A president's portrait may not appear on a coin until at least two years after their death. However, ahead of the 250th anniversary, Congress passed the "Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act," which allowed the Treasury Department to mint special $1 coins in honor of the event. The law specifies that the reverse of such coins may not feature the head and shoulders or bust of any person, living or dead, nor a portrait of a living person.
Trump's image is placed on the obverse, which allows the legislative restriction to be circumvented. Thus, Donald Trump has become the first sitting president in US history to appear on a coin.