New designs for President Donald Trump’s controversial $1 commemorative coin have been revealed after an earlier, more aggressive version was quietly scrapped amid Democratic backlash.
The special coin is being minted to mark America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, but its design has sparked fierce debate in Washington over presidential vanity and historical precedent.
Several updated Trump coin designs were submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal advisory panel that reviews government aesthetics. All three featured close-up portraits of Trump’s face with the word Liberty above and the years 1776 to 2026 below.
Each proposed design showed Trump facing a different direction. One featured a straight-ahead pose, another a three-quarter turn, and the third a side profile.
After reviewing the options, commission members voted Thursday to recommend the side profile version, describing it as more dignified and statesmanlike than the others.
Members openly criticized the forward-facing design, focusing heavily on Trump’s hair. One commissioner said the depiction was not accurate and appeared exaggerated.
James C. McCrery, a commission member appointed earlier this month by Trump, voiced concern over what he called a plate-like appearance of the president’s hair in the rejected designs.
McCrery was one of five new appointees added after Trump removed the previous commission members in October, a move that drew its own controversy.
Commission member Roger Kimball praised the side profile design, saying it gave Trump a classic look befitting a historic milestone.
The original coin design shared by the Treasury Department in October showed Trump raising his fist after surviving an assassination attempt. That version has now been abandoned.
Commission members also recommended a traditional eagle design for the back of the coin and advised removing the Liberty Bell to reduce visual clutter.
Democrats have launched an aggressive campaign to block the coin altogether, arguing it violates long-standing tradition against placing living presidents on U.S. currency.
Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced legislation to ban such coins, accusing Trump of authoritarian behavior and self-glorification, as the Daily Mail reported.
Merkley called the project an abuse of taxpayer dollars, while Cortez Masto said America has never had and never will have a king.
Despite the pushback, the bill is unlikely to pass with Republicans controlling Congress, clearing the way for the coin to be minted later this year.
A representative from the U.S. Mint told the commission that legal review concluded the coin is lawful under legislation authorizing commemorative coins for the Semiquincentennial.
The final decision will rest with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, though Trump himself has not publicly stated which design he prefers.
