Democratic senators are introducing legislation that would block the Treasury Department from minting $1 coins with President Donald Trump’s likeness on them.
Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., are set to introduce the legislation on Tuesday, according to a report from Punchbowl News. Dubbed the Change Corruption Act, the bill would prohibit the federal government from minting currency that bears “the likeness of a living or sitting president.”
The Treasury has prominently featured Trump coin designs on its website. The coin would be part of a push to commemorate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. It would be a collector’s coin rather than a fully minted coin.
“Despite the radical left’s forced shutdown of our government, the facts are clear: Under the historic leadership of President Donald J. Trump, our nation is entering its 250th anniversary stronger, more prosperous, and better than ever,” a Treasury spokesperson told FOX Business when the coin was announced in October.
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“While a final $1 dollar coin design has not yet been selected to commemorate the United States’ semiquincentennial, this first draft reflects well the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, even in the face of immense obstacles. We look forward to sharing more soon,” the statement continued.
The draft image depicts Trump in front of an American flag with his fist raised and bears a resemblance to the widely-circulated picture of Trump reacting to being wounded in the ear during an assassination attempt last year in Pennsylvania as he was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents.
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The Treasury Department has the legal authority to mint $1 collectible coins, including for occasions such as next year’s observance of the U.S. semiquincentennial.
The U.S. Mint’s two most recently issued commemorative coins were the Harriet Tubman and Greatest Generation coins issued in 2024, which sold a total of 56,894 and 79,980 coins, respectively.
According to the Mint’s data, the best-selling commemorative coin of all-time was the U.S. Statue of Liberty coin in 1986, which sold nearly 15.5 million coins.
The last commemorative coin programs to exceed 1 million coins sold were the Mint’s 1995-1996 coins released in recognition of the centennial of the Olympics, which was observed when Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics. Over 2.4 million coins were sold as part of that collection series.
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