Designs for new US $1 coin with Donald Trump's face revealed as Dems push to block it

To mark America's 250th anniversary, a $1 coin baring Donald Trump's face has been proposed - but it's something the Democrats hope to block.

Independence Day, or July 4, 2026, is the 250th anniversary of the United States becoming an independent country, and there are big celebrations planned to mark it.

While more details surrounding Independence Day celebrations will be revealed in due course, the US treasury announced in October last year its plans to commemorate the current POTUS, Donald Trump.

The coin proposed featured Trump on both sides, with the 'heads' seeing a side profile of the Republican president. But it's the 'tails' side of the coin that got much of the country talking.

The design saw the president raising his fist with the US flag in the background, as well as the words 'Fight, Fight, Fight' along the top.

No fake news here. These first drafts honoring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real.

Looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States government is over. https://t.co/c6HChM6ijG

— U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach (@TreasurerBeach) October 3, 2025

That side of the coin paid homage to the infamous photo of Trump raising his fist to the crowd and mouthing these words to the crowd of a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024, where he was nearly assassinated.

And while that image is perhaps one of the more shocking photos ever taken, the Treasury has dropped the design for a more classic design.

Three new designs of the coin have been submitted to the Commission of Fine Art, which will advise the federal government on whether the design is appropriate to be minted onto coins.

All three of the new designs feature close-up shots of Trump, alongside the words 'In God We Trust' and 'Liberty'. The coin also marks the US' special Independence celebration later this year.

The reverse side of the coin features a variety of different designs, all of which feature the iconic US bald eagle.

Since it was announced in October last year, many Democrats have sought to block the implementation of the new $1 coin.

Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley and Catherine Cortez Masto head up a bill to block the coin, with the former describing the move as an 'abuse of taxpayer dollars'.

"President Trump's self-celebrating maneuvers are authoritarian actions worthy of dictators like North Korea's Kim Jong Un, not the United States of America," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Cortez Masto added: "While monarchs put their faces on coins, America has never had and never will have a king. Our legislation would codify this country’s long-standing tradition of not putting living Presidents on American coins."

The final decision as to whether the coin will be produced for circulation lies with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.