Federal officials have begun preliminary preparations for a commemorative $250 bill bearing Donald Trump’s image, even as the congressional proposal remains stuck in legislative limbo, according to a Treasury Department representative.
The proposed legislation, put forward by Representative Joe Wilson, R-S.C., would instruct the federal bureau responsible for currency production to feature Trump on this new denomination as part of commemorating America’s 250th birthday.
Should the measure become law with Trump’s signature, it would represent an unprecedented honor for a current president and aligns with Trump’s efforts to position himself prominently in the country’s anniversary celebrations. The Treasury Department’s advance planning indicates support for the concept within the current administration.
These developments come after a Washington Post investigation revealed that U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, appointed by Trump, has been urging the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to accelerate preparations for new currency. The publication also disclosed that the former bureau director was transferred after resisting these efforts.
“In response to active legislation sponsored by Representative Joe Wilson, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence,” the spokeswoman said in a statement to The Associated Press. “Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation.”
Wilson’s proposal, which has yet to advance significantly, aims to establish the high-value note honoring Trump during the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The bill would supersede existing federal statutes that prohibit living persons from appearing on American currency.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who oversees the currency production bureau, is expected at the White House Thursday afternoon and may face questions about this initiative.
Beach declined to respond to AP inquiries for comment.
The Post’s reporting indicated that Beach presented the Bureau of Engraving and Printing with a bill design last autumn. The design incorporated Trump’s likeness — identical to the portrait displayed on banners at various federal facilities in Washington — along with anniversary branding. Trump’s signature would also appear on the currency, a feature that distinguishes it from existing paper money.
British artist Iain Alexander confirmed to the Post that he created the bill design and had conversations about it with the president. Alexander did not reply to AP’s request for comment.
The publication further reported that bureau director Patricia Solimene opposed pressure from Beach and his senior aide Mike Brown, emphasizing the complex legal and administrative requirements for introducing new currency. Solimene has subsequently been reassigned involuntarily, according to the Post, with Brown effectively taking control of the bureau.
The Treasury representative declined to address AP’s inquiries regarding any leadership transitions at the bureau.
This currency initiative would represent another instance of Trump incorporating his personal image into his official role since beginning his 2025 presidential term.
Beach and Bessent have already expedited approval for commemorative 250th anniversary coins featuring Trump. The Treasury Department maintains that these special coins are exempt from restrictions on living presidents appearing on legal tender. During the nation’s 150th anniversary in 1926, then-President Calvin Coolidge was featured on a commemorative half-dollar.
The current administration has installed banners with Trump’s portrait at the Department of Justice and other government buildings. Additionally, his appointees to the Kennedy Center’s governing board have added his name to the national arts venue that Congress originally established as a memorial to assassinated President John F. Kennedy. This renaming faces legal challenges due to federal legislation designating the center as the official memorial to the 35th president.
Current federal regulations specify that only deceased individuals may be depicted on American currency and securities.
Wilson’s legislation would create an exception: “except if the individual is or has been the President of the United States.”
