The US Commission on Fine Arts approved the design during its March 19 meeting. The coin will be minted once the final dimensions are determined.
US President Donald Trump is set to be featured on a 24-karat gold commemorative coin marking the United States’ 250th anniversary, a move that has sparked debate over its legality.
The design shows Trump leaning on the Resolute Desk with clenched fists and would mark only the second time a sitting US president has appeared on a coin.
The first instance was in 1926, when the 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, appeared alongside George Washington on a commemorative coin celebrating 150 years of US independence.
The US Commission on Fine Arts approved the design during its March 19 meeting. The coin will be minted once the final dimensions are determined.
“As we approach our 250th birthday, we are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving President, Donald J Trump,” US Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement to FOX Business.
US federal law bars living presidents from appearing on circulating currency. Beach, however, said the commemorative coin would not fall under that category and that the Treasury secretary holds sole authority over the final design and approval for minting.
Democrats have criticised the proposal, calling the Trump-themed coin inappropriate and contrary to American values.
“Monarchs and dictators put their faces on coins, not leaders of a democracy,” Sen Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.
The coin would be part of a broader set of special-edition currencies and medals the Treasury plans to release to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence.
The United States Mint has also announced that the nation’s Semiquincentennial (SemiQ) will bring one-year-only design changes to familiar coins such as the dime, quarter and half dollar.
For that year, the Mint will produce collectible coins carrying features such as the dual date “1776 ~ 2026″, a Liberty Bell privy mark, and other commemorative elements, according to information on its website.