Donald Trump's embrace of self-aggrandisement is a well-known part of his personal brand, and it has been on full display in recent days after the US Treasury posted an image of a $1 coin featuring the US president in rally mode.
The draft image of the silver coin was posted on X and shows a graven image of Trump with his fist raised in front of a US flag and the words "Fight - Fight - Fight" around the rim.
The coin also features the phrases "United States of America" and the phrase "E Pluribus Unum", which also graces the Great Seal of the US.
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https://x.com/TreasurerBeach/status/1974156375891804229The Latin phrase translates roughly to "out of many, one", representing the federation of the US from a disparate set of states.
Trump's fist pump is a signature move but gained new significance when he performed the gesture after he was shot at onstage during a rally in Pennsylvania during a 2024 presidential campaign rally.
The coin appears to be a proposed special edition silver dollar to celebrate the US's upcoming 250th anniversary as a nation.
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"No fake news here," US Treasurer Brandon Beach posted on X.
"These first drafts honouring America's 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real. Looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States government is over."
The other side of the coin features Trump in a side-facing portrait.
It's not clear the controversial coin design will be minted: it's against US law to display the image of a sitting president or living former president. A president may be featured on a coin no sooner than two years following the president's death.
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"No coin issued under this subsection may bear the image of a living former or current President, or of any deceased former President during the two-year period following the date of the death of that President," according to the US code governing coin design.
In anticipation of America's 250th anniversary, Congress passed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act, which allows the US Treasury to mint special $1 coins to celebrate the event. The act states that the treasury secretary may "mint for issuance during the one-year period beginning January 1, 2026, $1 dollar coins with designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial."
That law also states, "No head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person, living or dead, and no portrait of a living person may be included in the design on the reverse of specified coins."
While the treasury confirms that the drafts with Trump's portrait on either side are legitimate, a spokesperson emphasised that a final design has not been chosen.
"While a final $1 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," a treasury spokesperson told CNN, adding that they "look forward to sharing more soon."
In a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if Trump has seen the first draft images of the coin with his face on it.
"I'm not sure if he's seen it, but I'm sure he'll love it," Leavitt said.
With CNN.
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