On Tuesday, the US Mint issued a new 2026 Semiquincentennial $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump for America’s 250th anniversary.
By noon ET, the demand for the 250,000 available coins was so high that buyers were placed in virtual queues for more than an hour.
The website notes, “Due to extraordinarily high traffic, we are using a virtual waiting room,” and advises visitors they have 10 minutes to complete a purchase once admitted.
On one side, the coin features a portrait of President Trump by Chief Engraver Joseph Menna, with “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “1776 ~ 2026.”
The other side features the Presidential Seal with “250” on the shield, plus “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “ONE DOLLAR.”
While the new coins may be used as legal tender, they are also pitched as collectibles.
The U.S. Mint said, “Created to celebrate this historic national milestone, these special circulating dollar coins combine everyday American coinage with a once-in-a-generation anniversary design destined to become a standout addition to modern collections.”
Available for purchase today at 12PM ET: 2026 President Donald J. Trump $1 Coin. These coins are also in circulation, so check your pocket change. Collect them today! #CoinCollecting #America250https://t.co/g4eJes21ER pic.twitter.com/4OqkQ2sa9W
— United States Mint (@usmint) September 2, 2026
Although living presidents almost never appear on U.S. coins, with critics arguing an 1866 law generally bars portraits of living people on currency, the Treasury has said the 2020 law authorizing 2026 $1 coins “emblematic of the Semiquincentennial” allows it.
The coin was greenlighted in March after controversy arose stemming from a federal law that previously prohibited living people from being depicted on U.S. currency. But a law Trump signed during his first term — called the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 — included new language regarding the semiquincentennial commemoration coins.
The Trump administration also told Newsweek it does not need congressional approval for the coin — citing a history of coins with the likeness of the sitting president such as a 150th anniversary coin with former President Calvin Coolidge as one example in a legal filing.
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