The United States Department of the Treasury has taken a big step forward in a plan to etch President Donald Trump’s portrait on a 24 karat gold commemorative coin.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, an advisory board whose members were handpicked by Trump, approved the general design on March 19 for a 24k gold commemorative coin emblazoned with the president’s image.
Separately, the Treasury has said it plans to issue a $1 Trump coin the Fine Arts commission approved in January, despite protest from Democrats and coin enthusiasts who say the move shatters longstanding norms.
The gold commemorative coin features a picture taken by the chief White House photographer of Trump leaning over the Resolute Desk, which is on display in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The U.S. Mint did not respond to a request for comment on how much the coins will cost, though others on the agency’s website sell for thousands of dollars.
"It's a very strong, very tough image of him," said Chamberlain Harris, a member of the committee and deputy director of Oval Office operations at the White House. "It's fitting to have a current sitting president who's presiding over the 250th year on a commemorative coin for said year."
