(WASHINGTON, USA) – The United States has produced the first batch of gold coins featuring President Donald Trump to mark the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence. The White House confirmed the minting of the commemorative coins.
The coin is made of 24 karat gold. The front of the coin shows Trump along with the words “LIBERTY” and “1776 to 2026”. The back features a bald eagle, one of the national symbols of the United States.
The decision to place a sitting president on a coin is unusual for the United States. American tradition generally avoids depicting living people on money. Officials have pointed to exceptions for commemorative coins. In 1926, then president Calvin Coolidge appeared on a commemorative coin marking the 150th anniversary of the United States.
The United States Commission of Fine Arts approved the design of the 24 karat gold coin earlier. The design shows the president leaning on a table, with a bald eagle on the reverse side.
This coin is separate from another commemorative 1 dollar coin bearing Trump’s portrait. The United States Mint plans to put that coin into circulation in the autumn of 2026. The official design for the dollar coin shows a portrait of the president on the front and the presidential seal with an eagle on the back.
The coin programme comes as Trump has launched a large scale reconstruction of the White House and Washington with projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
In related news, the United States State Department will begin issuing limited edition commemorative passports featuring Trump starting in August 2026. The passports mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Previously, such passports could only be obtained at the passport office in Washington. They will now become available at 27 passport agencies across the country.
The State Department said an additional 250,000 special documents, called the “Patriot Passport”, will be issued due to high demand. The inside page of the passport features a portrait of Donald Trump. He becomes the first sitting United States president to be depicted on an American passport.
The passport programme is another instance of Trump’s name and image being used on official commemorative merchandise. His portrait already appears on the commemorative coin for the 250th anniversary. Work is also under way to place his signature on new paper banknotes.
The first special events for processing the passports will take place starting August 8, 2026 at passport agencies in several cities, including New York, Chicago, Dallas and Detroit. The programme will then expand to other regions of the country.
Trump has also published a photo of a new 100 dollar bill with his signature. The image was shared on July 4, 2026.