What you need to know: US launches coin featuring Trump’s face

United States President Donald Trump's face has officially discovered its way onto the country's currency.

Key points

• Despite the coin being valued at $1, consumers can purchase a 25-coin roll for $61 or a 100-coin bag for $154.50 – a significant mark-up.
• Nevertheless, during his first term, Trump signed legislation known as the Circulating Collection Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (CCRA).
• Late last year, Democratic Senators Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Jeff Merkley of Oregon introduced legislation that would block Trump from placing his face on the coin.
• On July 15, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent first confirmed the coin in a post on social media.
• According to But critics have, the 1926 coin was commemorative and not intended for circulation as currency.

On Tuesday at 12pm Eastern Time (16: 00 GMT), the US Mint began circulating – and selling – a "once-in-a-generation" $1 coin bearing Trump's likeness to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary.

For context, the gold-coloured coins feature Trump's portrait on one side, alongside inscriptions of "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST". On the reverse is an illustration of the US presidential seal with "250" inscribed on its shield.

Meanwhile, the US Mint notes the coins "capture the spirit, pride, and legacy of a nation approaching its landmark anniversary".

Since such honours are largely reserved for long-dead dignitaries, it's the first time in almost 100 years that a living person has been featured on US currency, drawing a heavy dose of criticism.

How did this $1 coin come to be? Here's what you need to know. Why is this being done?

Since Trump returned to the White House last year, the administration has taken steps to put his name or image on an array of buildings and items, including the Kennedy Center, the US Institute of Peace, National Parks passes, a limited-edition passport and a $1m "gold card" visa that was confirmed last year.

In practice, the Trump administration has tied some of those efforts to celebrations of the country's semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

On July 15, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent first confirmed the coin in a post on social media. Bessent remarked the coin "celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all".

Notably, the Trump administration has additionally pointed to another anniversary coin as a precedent for the Trump-branded $1 piece.

In 1926, for the 150th anniversary of the country, the US Mint struck a coin featuring side-by-side portraits of George Washington and Calvin Coolidge, a president who was in office at the time.

According to But critics have, the 1926 coin was commemorative and not intended for circulation as currency. Are there other proposals for Trump-themed currency?

In May, Bessent additionally stated preparations were under way to print a new $250 banknote featuring Trump's face.

Bessent continued that the Trump administration was seeking congressional approval for the new bill. How much are the new coins?

While the coins are being sold at a premium, the US Mint emphasises they are not solely decorative.

They are valid currency and can be applied to produce everyday purchases, just like a $1 bill.

US federal law states: "Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities."

Congress passed that law in 1866 after a Department of the Treasury official, Spencer M Clark, put his own face on a note valued at five cents, angering lawmakers.

Nevertheless, during his first term, Trump signed legislation known as the Circulating Collection Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (CCRA). It provided the Treasury the authority to mint $1 coins "with designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial".

That law prohibits the portrait of "any person, living or dead" on the reverse side of those coins. Nevertheless, Trump's image on the new $1 coin appears on the obverse – the front of the coin – meaning it probable complies with the law. What opposition does this face?

"While monarchs put their faces on coins, America has never had and never will have a king, " Cortez Masto remarked. "Our legislation would codify this country's long-standing tradition of not putting living Presidents on American coins. Congress must pass it without delay." Their bill did not become law.

Notably, the Treasury Department and US Mint did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera's request for comment.

In short, what you need to know: US launches coin featuring Trump's face is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.