Federal Government & Institutions

The Federal Commission of Fine Arts voted unanimously, “without objection,” to approve a 24‑karat gold semiquincentennial coin featuring President Trump, a decision made by a commission of Trump appointees and supporters and enabled by Treasury officials (acting Mint design chief Megan Sullivan said Secretary Scott Bessent is invoking authority over 24‑karat coins to circumvent the usual statutory bar on living presidents appearing on U.S. currency). The obverse depicts Trump leaning forward with fists on a desk under an arc reading “LIBERTY” with dates 1776–2026, “IN GOD WE TRUST” and 13 stars, the reverse shows a bald eagle in mid‑flight with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and Sullivan said Trump personally reviewed designs and chose this one while commissioners discussed making the coin larger, up to the Mint’s three‑inch maximum, with officials calling the profile “emblematic” and “strong.”