Featuring Trump on US coins and bills would put America in rare company

On July 15, the Treasury Department announced production of a $1 coin featuring an image of Donald Trump. (Image source: U.S. Department of the Treasury.)

Featuring Trump on US coins and bills would put America in rare company

A professor of international relations counted the sitting leaders on over 1,000 of the world’s banknotes and coins; almost every one of them is a king or a queen.

By Jacques Hymans

July 20, 2026

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A slang term for cash money is “dead presidents.” But now the very much alive President Donald Trump could appear on U.S. coins and banknotes, too.

Ever since Trump returned to power in 2025, his administration has put the president’s face and name on all sorts of things, from federal buildings to national park passes. Putting him on the almighty dollar would be the crowning achievement of these efforts. After all, the value of physical U.S. currency in circulation today stands at over US$2.46 trillion, an all-time high.

If a sitting president’s portraits start appearing on U.S. currency, what would this change say about American political culture?Read More

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