I thought that Congress had passed a law back in the 19th century banning using the image of a living person on U. S. money, both coins and paper. Meanwhile this morning the U. S. Treasury confirmed plans to issue a one dollar coin with the likeness of President Trump. Is this ridiculous or just plain stupid.
Trump Coin
twentyfive"Retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials: much to live on and much to live for."
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last commentChatGPT: Key points:
The enabling statute for the semiquincentennial coin program (passed in 2020) allows Congress to authorize the Treasury to issue $1 coins with “designs emblematic of the U.S. semiquincentennial.”
But that same statute (and related coin design statutes) includes the prohibition on “no head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person, living or dead, and no portrait of a living person” on the reverse side of coins under that program.
The draft design appears to put Trump’s profile (head) on the obverse side of the coin, and a full-figure version (raising a fist, in front of a flag) on the reverse—arguably trying to avoid a traditional “head and shoulders bust” on the reverse.
Legal experts are already pushing back, saying the draft design may violate the prohibition if interpreted strictly.
Some news outlets point out that the 1866 law explicitly refers to paper currency, so there is ambiguity whether that restriction applies to coins.
So the proposal is trying to thread a needle—using the draft design placement to avoid a direct conflict with the “no portrait on reverse” rule, while perhaps challenging or reinterpreting the traditional ban on living persons on currency.
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^ Historically kings and queens have issued coins and money with their likenesses to commemorate their reign, but we’re not supposed to have a monarch here in the U. S. A.
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Trump on a coin at this point while he's still alive is a total egomaniac move.
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and honestly doesn't surprise me.
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When the Trump coin becomes available I'm going to get $1,000 and use them for tips. Greatest president America has ever had!
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I've also heard some suggest the prohibition (which is a good thing IMO) only applies to coins that are minted to be legal tender but would not apply to commemorative coins. We'll see. This does strike me as an ego move that is intended to piss off the left. As much as I support pissing off the left actually minting such a coin seems like a bad idea. (Though Pussylickers idea would be fun...)
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