US President Donald Trump is all set to feature on a gold coin to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, amid questions over the legality of the move.
The 24-karat gold coin, portraying Trump leaning on the Resolute desk with clenched fists, will mark only the second time a living president has featured on a coin. Earlier, Calvin Coolidge, the 30th US president, appeared on a commemorative coin alongside George Washington that was minted in 1926 to celebrate 150 years of US independence.
The US Commission on Fine Arts, at its meeting on March 19, approved the design of the commemorative gold coin, which will be minted once the final dimensions are decided.
“As we approach our 250th birthday, we are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving President, Donald J Trump,” US Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement to FOX Business.
US federal law states that no living president can appear on US currency. However, Beach said the proposed commemorative coin would be separate from circulating currency, and the Treasury secretary has sole discretion over the final design selection and authorising its minting.
Democrats have termed the Trump-themed gold coin embarrassing and against the nation’s values.
“Monarchs and dictators put their faces on coins, not leaders of a democracy,” Sen Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.
The coin is expected to join a slate of special-edition currencies and medals the Treasury is releasing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of US independence.
The United States Mint has also said that, to mark the nation’s Semiquincentennial (SemiQ), it will introduce one-year-only changes to well-known American coinage, including the circulating dime, quarter and half dollar.
For one year, the Mint will issue a range of collectible products, some of which will bear a dual date of “1776 ~ 2026”, feature a Liberty Bell privy mark, or otherwise commemorate the anniversary, according to its website.
Critics see the commemorative coin as the latest effort by Trump to leave his mark on Washington. Earlier, the Kennedy Centre was renamed the Trump-Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts, and the US Institute of Peace building had the president’s name added to it.
Trump has also sought to reshape the White House grounds, proposing a visitor screening centre and the demolition of the East Wing to build a long-desired ballroom.
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