A federal arts panel entirely composed of members appointed by President Donald Trump has unanimously approved a commemorative gold coin featuring Trump’s own image, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers, historians, and civic groups who say it violates longstanding American traditions.
The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) convened on Thursday, March 19th, to review designs for the coin that will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
During the meeting, U.S. Mint officials discussed technical specifications, including the coin’s diameter, with options reaching up to three inches.
White House aide Chamberlain Harris, 26, who Trump appointed to the CFA earlier this year, advocated for the largest possible size. “The larger the better,” she said, shortly before the panel approved the design.
The coin depicts a stern-looking Trump leaning over a desk, based on a photograph displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
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The White House has confirmed that Trump personally approved the design, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a Trump loyalist, is expected to order the coin minted.
Legal and Ethical Questions
Putting a sitting president on official currency contradicts American values and traditions. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, told Reuters, “Monarchs and dictators put their faces on coins, not leaders of a democracy.
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.”
A separate federal panel, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), had previously rejected a similar proposal, citing laws prohibiting the depiction of living or recently deceased presidents on certain coins.
Donald Scarinci, a member of the CCAC, emphasized that the $1 coin proposed for circulation would clearly violate statutes requiring a three-year waiting period after a president’s death.
However, the gold coin is considered a non-circulating collector coin, creating a potential legal loophole.
Scarinci added, “Under law, both our panel and the Commission of Fine Arts are meant to approve any coins. But we still fully expect them to plough ahead and mint both coins.”
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The gold coin is part of a broader pattern of Trump administration initiatives to place his name and image on public institutions and federal programs.
Since reentering the White House in January 2025, Trump has affixed his name to Washington buildings, a class of Navy warships, a visa program for wealthy foreigners, a government-run prescription drug website, and federal savings accounts for children.
Notably, the administration recently renamed the U.S. Institute of Peace the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace just three months before initiating military action against Iran.
Similarly, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has been renamed the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center, and will close for two years of renovations as decided by Trump-appointed trustees.
The U.S. Mint will finalize dimensions and specifications in the coming weeks, and questions from media outlets have been referred to the Treasury Department.
