The gold coins bearing President Donald Trump’s likeness won’t be ready in time for America’s 250th birthday — the very milestone they were meant to commemorate, according to a new report.
In a legal filing obtained by Newsweek, a U.S. Mint official said the coin, which Democrats have sought to ban, remains in the conceptual phase and may not be released until months after July 4.
“The Mint is currently in the design stage of a large 24k gold coin depicting President Trump in commemoration of the United States Semiquincentennial,” Director of the Office of Design Management April Stafford wrote.
“There is no official on-sale date for this gold coin,” she added. “While the coin will be minted in celebration of the Semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026, this is not the target date for issuance.”
Once a design is approved, it could take months for the coin to be manufactured, according to Newsweek. The legal filing also states that just 47 coins will be minted, each containing roughly $90,000 worth of gold.
The filing was part of a lawsuit filed by James Rickher, a Portland resident, who sought to halt the production of the commemorative pieces. He argued U.S. law prevents a living president’s face from being depicted on currency.
Title 31 of the U.S. Code states: “Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities.” The Thayer Amendment, passed in 1866, prohibits living individuals from appearing on U.S. currency, according to ABC News.
However, the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, signed into law by Trump in 2021, only banned living people from being featured “on the reverse of any coin” in the commemorative series.
In the filing, the U.S. Mint argued the coin is lawful, pointing to past examples of living figures on currency, including the 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar depicting President Calvin Coolidge alongside George Washington.
The U.S. Mint first unveiled plans to create commemorative $1 coins bearing Trump’s likeness last October.
The Mint’s website lists three designs, two of which include headshots of Trump, while a third has his side profile. All have the phrases “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “1776 ~ 2026.” Another design touted by a Treasury Department official features Trump raising his fist into the air following his assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, with the words “Fight Fight Fight” inscribed along the edges.
The Independent has reached out to the U.S. Mint for comment.
