The United States Mint has released 250,000 $1 coins featuring the likeness of President Donald Trump to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary, with the coins now entering circulation as legal tender.
Released on Wednesday, the coins could now turn up in everyday cash transactions, meaning members of the public may receive them as change when making payments.
According to the U.S. Mint, the coin features a portrait of Trump designed by the Mint’s Chief Engraver, Joseph Menna, and inspired by an official White House photograph by Daniel Torok.
The reverse, or tails side, features the Presidential Seal, showing an eagle holding an olive branch and a bundle of arrows, with a shield on its breast and a banner inscribed “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
The shield carries an additional inscription, “250,” to mark the Semiquincentennial of the United States. The other inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “ONE DOLLAR.”
The coins have a gold-like finish but are made from non-precious metals and are being minted in Philadelphia.
The Mint is selling the coins in rolls of 25 and bags of 100, with a roll priced at $61 and a bag at $154.50.
Some special-issue coins were randomly included in the rolls and bags. The Mint said those coins carry a “July 4th” mark because they were struck on July 4, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Demand for the coins was high enough for the Mint to activate a virtual waiting room on Wednesday, citing “extraordinarily high traffic” on its website.
Households were initially limited to two orders, although the Mint said the restriction would be lifted at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday.
The release has also sparked attention because it places the likeness of a living president on U.S. currency.
Federal law had previously prohibited living people from being depicted on U.S. currency. However, the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, signed by Trump during his first term, included provisions allowing coins commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the coin “celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all.”
The Trump administration has maintained that congressional approval was not required for the coin, citing a history of commemorative coins featuring the likenesses of sitting presidents.
The U.S. Mint has released other commemorative coins for the 250th-anniversary celebrations, including Revolutionary War Quarters, American Eagle Gold Coins and Enduring Liberty Half Dollars.
In June, the Mint also released 250,000 Semiquincentennial 2026 Declaration of Independence Quarters bearing a special “July 4th” mark into circulation.
