A commemorative gold coin bearing the image of US President Donald Trump has been approved by a federal arts commission.
The 24-karat gold coin is intended to mark America's 250th birthday this 4 July and portrays Trump with his fists pressed against a desk.
After a presentation by the US Mint, the US Commission of Fine Arts voted unanimously to approve the design, despite questions over its legality.
Federal law does not allow a living president to appear on US currency. But the coin is being issued in accordance with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's authority and discretion to mint and issue proof gold coins.
Bessent is expected to order the coin to be struck once the US Mint produces final dimensions.
The commission's vice-chairman, James McCrery, said: "I motion to approve this [coin] as presented, and with the strong encouragement that you make it as large as possible, all the way to three inches in diameter."
For comparison, a US quarter dollar is less than an inch wide. Trump last year fired the Commission of Fine Arts' members, replacing them with allies.
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His LIBERTY glower made me laugh out loud when I saw it.
ReplyDeleteI'll stick with Krugerrands, Austrian Coronas & Ducats, & Mexican 50 Pesos, thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, the standard practice for a country's currency was to have the living sovereign's image on the obverse side. Monarchies still do. The US opted for dead presidents. So has Trump gone full Augustus Caesar, i.e. declared emperor now? Or is he a dead president (perhaps implying from the neck up)?
ReplyDeleteTrump’s signature will soon appear on US dollar bills, a first for a sitting president.
ReplyDeleteBut will it be an imprint, or will it be a real signature? I can't imagine a "printed" signature would be legal if an auto-pen isn't. /s
ReplyDelete