Fists clenched and face filled with steely determination – this is how Donald Trump wants to go down in American history.
It may look like a solid gold example of a runaway ego, but this soon-to-be minted coin is intended to celebrate his nation’s 250th year of independence from Britain.
And it is hardly surprising that when Chamberlain Harris, a White House aide, was asked how large the coin should be she replied: ‘The larger the better’.
It is expected to be 3in in diameter (7.6 cm) and be cast in 24-carat gold, featuring the US President’s image.
Commissioned by a federal arts panel made up of members appointed by Mr Trump, it forms part of a series of coins the US Mint is planning to produce to mark America’s anniversary.
It also adds to a growing list of efforts by Mr Trump and his allies to stamp the President’s name on buildings, government programmes, Navy warships, and US currency since his second White House term began in January 2025.
The US Mint – which is responsible for producing the nation’s coinage – will now finalise the coin’s dimensions, with the design already approved by Mr Trump himself.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is then expected to give the order for the coin to be minted.
The federal arts panel has commissioned a coin of US President Donald Trump to mark the nation’s 250th year of independence from Britain
The design will portray a stern-looking Mr Trump leaning over his desk and looking ahead, based on a photograph displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
Needless to say many Democrat Senators are less than impressed.
‘Monarchs and dictators put their faces on coins, not leaders of a democracy,’ said Senator Jeff Merkley.
‘Trump’s administration moving to put his face on a commemorative coin is his latest effort to distort the meaning of America’s 250th birthday.’
Donald Scarinci, a member of the bipartisan Citizens Advisory Committee – a separate federal panel that refused to consider the gold coin proposal last month – noted this is not the first time a sitting president has been on a commemorative coin.
In 1926 – 150 years after the 1776 Declaration of Independence – an image of the then-president Calvin Coolidge, a Republican, was printed on a commemorative coin.
Notably his profile was overlaid with an image of George Washington.
Mr Scarinci pointed out that Mr Trump’s coin will differ in size and will feature the US President alone.
The design of the coin will portray a stern-looking Mr Trump leaning over his desk and looking ahead, based on a photograph displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington
Mr Trump has also proposed a $1 coin bearing his image which would go into circulation this year.
However Mr Scarinci said the $1 coin would clearly breach a law prohibiting the image of a sitting or former president appearing on a dollar coin until three years after their death.
There may be, nevertheless, a potential loophole. Unlike the dollar coin, which would be in circulation, the gold coin would remain a collector’s item.
Mr Scarinci said under law both his panel and the Commission of Fine Arts are meant to approve the coin.
He added: ‘But we still fully expect them to plough ahead and mint both coins.’
