The U.S. Mint has confirmed that a 24-karat gold commemorative coin featuring President Donald Trump’s likeness will not be available in time for America’s 250th anniversary on July Fourth, according to a federal court filing.
April Stafford, director of the Mint’s Office of Design Management, stated in a May 18 filing that the agency remains in the design phase with no official release date. She clarified that while the coin is intended for the Semiquincentennial celebration, “this date [July Fourth] is not the target for issuance.” The Treasury Department continues consultations on the coin’s design, with potential revisions still under consideration.
Once final approval is secured, the Mint estimates six to eight weeks will pass before striking begins, followed by several months of production. Each of the 47 coins planned contains approximately $90,000 worth of gold.
The filing addresses a lawsuit filed by James M. Rickher, a retired Portland lawyer and coin collector who represented himself in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon on March 24. Rickher argued the project violates Section 5114 of Title 31, which permits only portraits of deceased individuals on U.S. currency.
The government countered that the statute does not prohibit the coin, citing a 1926 commemorative half dollar featuring then-President Calvin Coolidge and a 1995 Special Olympics World Games coin as precedents. Treasury officials also emphasized congressional approval is unnecessary for such gold coins.
The 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar remains the only U.S. coin to depict a president while alive, pairing George Washington with Coolidge. The Mint initially authorized 1 million coins but saw demand fall short, resulting in 859,408 returns and melts. From 2007 to 2016, the Mint produced Presidential $1 coins honoring deceased former presidents, with high-grade error pieces selling for thousands—such as a 2008-P James Monroe Position A dollar in MS65 that sold for $20,400 at Heritage Auctions in August 2024.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts cleared the coin’s final design on March 19. Megan Sullivan, the Mint’s acting chief of design management, reported Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent selected the image from options presented to the president. Federal law generally bars living presidents from appearing on U.S. currency, but Treasury officials maintain that Bessent holds separate authority over 24-karat commemorative coins.
The case is currently before U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, who has yet to rule on Rickher’s request for a preliminary injunction.
