President Donald Trump, the US commander-in-chief, has fulfilled a long-signalled ambition to appear on national currency after the US Mint released a $1 coin bearing his portrait.
- The US Mint has released $1 coins featuring President Donald Trump, making him the first sitting US president in 100 years to appear on a coin while still in office.
- The coin entered circulation on September 2, 2026, and was issued as part of celebrations marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
- In Africa, the closest current parallels are Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Eswatini’s King Mswati III, both living heads of state who remain in office while appearing on national currency.
- The Trump coin has also drawn legal scrutiny in the US, although the administration says the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 provides the legal basis for the issue.
The coins entered circulation on September 2, 2026, as the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The legal-tender coin, produced at the Philadelphia Mint from manganese brass, carries Trump’s portrait alongside the inscriptions “1776 ~ 2026,” “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST”.
“These coins are also in circulation, so check your pocket change. Collect them today!” the U.S. Mint wrote in a social media post Wednesday.
US $1 coins have previously featured figures including George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea. Trump, however, is the first sitting US president in a century to appear on a coin while still in office.
The move also fulfils an ambition first signalled in 2025, when Treasury officials confirmed plans for a $1 coin bearing Trump’s portrait, and places him among a small number of serving heads of state whose images appear on national currency.
In Africa, the closest current parallels are Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Eswatini’s King Mswati III, both living heads of state who remain in office while appearing on national currency.
Africa’s living monarchs remain on currency
Morocco introduced a new 200-dirham banknote, its highest denomination, carrying King Mohammed VI’s portrait in January 2024.
The king is head of state, commander-in-chief of the Royal Armed Forces and president of the Council of Ministers, placing him at the centre of Morocco’s political system.
Similarly, in Eswatini, King Mswati III appears on the E200 banknote, the country’s highest denomination, while serving as head of state and commander-in-chief, with executive authority vested in the monarchy.
Africa has also had several sitting presidents whose portraits appeared on national currency. They include Kenya’s Daniel arap Moi, Zaire’s Mobutu Sese Seko, Uganda’s Idi Amin and Milton Obote, and Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, although all have since died or left office.
Trump coin draws legal scrutiny
The Trump coin has also drawn scrutiny in the US over both the tradition of keeping living presidents off currency and the process used to approve the design.
The Washington Post described the move as a “dramatic departure from U.S. tradition”, noting that the only previous case involving a living president was Calvin Coolidge in 1926.
Separately, ABC News reported that the coin’s legality has come under scrutiny after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not have the design reviewed by the bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
The Trump administration, however, has cited the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 as the legal basis for the issue, arguing that it gives the Treasury secretary authority over special coins marking the country’s 250th anniversary.
