Release: JUNE 5, 2026
We’re less than a month away from our official 250th anniversary. Having been alive on July 4, 1976, I know how big such significant-date celebrations are. This time around, we’ve been repeatedly told the magnitude to expect for 2026. Many are still waiting....
Similar to 1976, some change to our change is in store. Already, new quarters celebrating the Semiquincentennial have been released. The first two of five quarters are circulating as will soon be a new dime and nickel. This month, the third commemorative quarter will debut. It salutes the Declaration of Independence. So far, all coins visually invoke actual or allegorical images saluting our two-and-one-half centuries as the oldest democracy in the world.
Word has also come of a new half dollar coin being struck by the US Mint. It too is impressive with a close-up profile of the Statue of Liberty on the front and an adult hand passing Liberty’s torch to a younger hand on the reverse. Above that are the words, “KNOWLEDGE IS THE ONLY GUARDIAN OF TRUE LIBERTY.”
It’s been about 65 years since half dollar coins have been in open circulation so most of the new ones will be destined for release only as collectibles. So too for expected silver dollar coins. Of course, there have been a few hiccups.
One of the proposed dollar coins received so much backlash, the design was extensively modified. That’s because an 1866 US statute known as the Thayer Amendment specifically prohibits incorporating the likenesses of a living individual onto any U.S. currency. The reason for that initiative was to intentionally distance the US from monarchies where rulers include their own faces on money.
That being our legal mandate, one of the proposed US dollar coins was designed to have Donald Trump’s portrait not only on the front but on BOTH sides. The current administration cited the precedent of Calvin Coolidge including his profile next to that of George Washington on a half-dollar coin released in 1926 for our nation’s Sesquicentennial.
Ergo, it’s illegal and not doable, right? No. Nevertheless, the new commemorative silver dollar coin featuring Donald Trump is still in the works. Because the backlash of having his portrait on both the front and back has been so robust, a redesign has been made. The new coin has his portrait on just one side even though that still thwarts the Thayer amendment.
Now, forget that lowly dollar coin. As you may have heard, it gets way more incredible. Another proposal has been made and seemingly approved for the creation of an entirely new denomination of paper money. That would be a $250 bill featuring President Trump’s portrait and his signature.
Surely, creating a brand-new currency denomination and the printing of it is not an inexpensive proposition. It will certainly cost money. Confusingly, this comes from the administration that eliminated the production of the penny to save money.
Also, consider that precious few individuals possess the means to carry around and use a $250 bill. Consequently, most if not all will probably be produced merely as collectible curiosities. As with any such items, a premium would probably be charged to buy one of the bills. My guess is each bill would come packaged in a special commemorative holder with certificate of authenticity.
At this juncture, it would be wise to remember the vast majority of coin collectors have ardently opposed any coin with President Trump’s image on it. The same would surely be true for grandstandingly creating brand-new paper money emblazoned with the sitting president’s image and signature. All that because of some perceived loophole in the still extant Thayer Amendment?
Several things should be remembered. First, historically, there have been multiple paper currency notes with magnificent images on them extolling the concept of Liberty and Freedom. A duplication and/or reprinting of any of those would be a fabulous salute to our history and legacy that collectors and the general public would love and appreciate.
Secondly, and perhaps the most intelligent deal-breaker for a bill or coin bearing one’s own portrait, would be to remember the incredible backlash Coolidge received for showcasing his own ego on the 1926 coin. The wholesale opposition to that coin was so significant, over 85 percent of the one-million coins minted were returned to the Mint and melted.
In short, it’s true that Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson, Grant and Franklin were all noted statesmen and significant in their day. Each of them and other political luminaries have appeared on our coins and currency. However, the other commonality they share is significant. All were dead. That’s a simple fact of life.
In a nutshell, now is surely the time to focus on our collective pride and legacy of our Semiquincentennial – not one living individual on a coin or $250 bill. That’s just my two-cents worth.
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