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Treasury to Add Trump’s Signature to New Paper Currency as Cash Use Falls, Keeping Treasurer’s Signature
The Treasury says it will place President Donald Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency as part of the 2026 Semiquincentennial, with the notes to carry Trump’s signature alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s — a break from the historical practice of only Treasury officials’ signatures that has drawn both praise from Treasurer Brandon Beach and sharp Democratic criticism. The decision, tied to other Trump‑branded moves such as a commemorative gold coin and proposals for Trump coins, comes as cash use has fallen to about 14% of U.S. payments and is expected to begin with $100 bills printed in June 2026, prompting legal questions and predictions the notes may become collectors’ items.
📌 Key Facts
- The Treasury announced it will place President Donald J. Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency as part of the nation’s 250th‑anniversary observances, an unprecedented move for a sitting president that will appear alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s signature in the traditional location of the Treasurer’s signature.
- First $100 bills bearing Trump’s signature are expected to be printed in June 2026, with other denominations to follow; printed notes may take weeks before they enter circulation and Treasury has offered few additional design details.
- Officials tied the change to the Semiquincentennial (July 2026) but declined to answer questions about which denominations will carry the signature, how long the change will last, and who specifically made the decision.
- The signature plan is part of a broader effort to personalize U.S. money and institutions: a federal panel approved a 24‑karat commemorative gold coin featuring Trump, a $1 coin with his face has been floated, production of new pennies ended in 2025, and Trump’s name has been added to or proposed for federal buildings.
- The announcement drew partisan reaction: Treasury leaders (including Secretary Scott Bessent and Treasurer Brandon Beach) publicly endorsed the move, while Democrats including Rep. Shontel Brown called it 'gross and un‑American' and tone‑deaf amid high prices and international tensions.
- Legal experts say the change may not clearly violate the law: Rutgers economist Michael Bordo noted an 1862 statute may give the Treasury Secretary discretion over who signs currency, though federal law still bars placing a living president’s portrait on standard currency and political backlash is expected.
- The decision comes as cash use declines: Federal Reserve data show cash accounts for about 14% of U.S. payments (roughly 7 cash transactions out of 48 per month), with more than two‑thirds of cash payments made by people who prefer cards; nevertheless, more than $2 trillion in Federal Reserve notes remain in circulation.
- Observers predict Trump‑signed bills are likely to become collectors’ items over time.
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 27, 2026
9:40 PM
Trump's name is headed to dollar bills as cash use continues to decline
New information:
- Axios confirms the plan is explicitly tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026 and frames it as part of a broader push to reshape how Americans think about money.
- The piece cites Federal Reserve data that cash now accounts for just 14% of U.S. payments, with Americans making about seven cash payments out of roughly 48 transactions per month and more than two‑thirds of those cash payments coming from people who actually prefer cards.
- It reports that the first $100 bills bearing Trump’s signature are expected to be printed in June 2026, with other denominations to follow, and notes that it may take weeks before such notes enter circulation through banks.
- Axios reiterates that Trump ordered an end to new penny production in February 2025, with the last circulating penny struck in November 2025, underscoring how both coin and note policy are being used symbolically.
- The article notes a federal panel has already approved a 24‑karat gold commemorative coin featuring Trump’s image, tying the signature move to a broader personalization/branding of U.S. money.
8:00 PM
Treasury plans to put Trump's signature on all new U.S. paper currency in break with tradition
New information:
- Treasury now says Trump’s signature will appear on all new U.S. paper currency, alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s signature, as part of America’s 250th birthday observances.
- U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach publicly endorsed the move as “appropriate” and “well deserved,” countering concerns that his own signature is being pushed aside.
- Rutgers economist Michael Bordo says he is unsure the move crosses any legal red line because the 1862 statute may give the Treasury Secretary discretion over who signs currency, though he expects political backlash.
- The article connects the signature change to a broader pattern of Trump putting his name on institutions — including renaming the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center and pushing a Trump commemorative gold coin — and notes federal law still bars putting a living president on standard currency.
- Democrats, including Rep. Shontel Brown, criticized the timing as 'gross and un-American' amid Iran‑war‑driven oil price spikes, arguing the Trump-branded money will remind people who to blame for higher costs.
- The piece notes that more than $2 trillion in Federal Reserve notes are in circulation and quotes Bordo predicting that Trump‑signed bills are likely to become collectors’ items years from now.
6:16 PM
Trump to add his signature to currency — a first for a president
New information:
- Confirms Treasury will place President Trump’s signature where the U.S. Treasurer’s traditionally appears, alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, explicitly leaving no room for Treasurer Brandon Beach’s name.
- Treasurer Brandon Beach, a Trump ally who backed efforts to overturn the 2020 Georgia results, publicly praises the move as recognizing Trump as the architect of an 'American Golden Age economic revival.'
- Treasury frames the change as tied to the July 2026 Semiquincentennial but refuses to answer questions on which denominations will carry Trump’s signature, for how long, and who actually made the decision.
- The piece links this move to a broader pattern: a Trump‑stacked federal arts commission has already approved a 24‑karat commemorative gold coin featuring Trump and a $1 coin with his face, historically reserved for deceased presidents.
- Democrats, including Rep. Shontel Brown, sharply criticize the plan as 'gross and un‑American' and argue that putting Trump on money is tone‑deaf amid high prices for gas, goods, and groceries.
1:17 PM
Trump's signature to be added to new U.S. paper currency
New information:
- CBS reiterates that, historically, only Treasury officials’ signatures have appeared on U.S. paper currency, underscoring how unusual the move is.
- The segment restates that the change will take effect later this year but provides no additional dates, documents, or design details beyond the prior reporting.
March 26, 2026
11:01 PM
Trump's signature to be featured on U.S. paper currency, Treasury says
New information:
- CBS frames the move as adding President Trump’s signature to new U.S. paper currency, stressing that it is an unprecedented step for a sitting president rather than just swapping out the traditional Treasurer signature.
- The article directly quotes Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying, “There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S dollar bills bearing his name,” sharpening the explicitly pro‑Trump justification.
- U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach is quoted calling the move “not only appropriate, but also well deserved,” reinforcing that senior Treasury officials are publicly endorsing the personalization of currency.
- CBS adds detail that the announcement follows approval of a 24‑karat gold commemorative coin featuring Trump’s likeness and notes officials have also floated a $1 coin bearing Trump’s image, further documenting the broader campaign to place his image on U.S. money.
- The piece reiterates that this is part of a pattern of Trump attaching his name to federal cultural and diplomatic institutions, including renaming the Kennedy Center to the Trump‑Kennedy Center and adding his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace building.