The Treasury Department office charged with producing America’s paper currency has begun preliminary planning tied to proposed legislation that would place President Donald Trump on a commemorative $250 bill.
According to a Thursday report by The Washington Post, officials inside the Trump administration have been urging the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to develop sample concepts for a new bank note bearing Trump’s image — a historic move that would make him the first living person featured on US paper money in well over a century.
The effort is connected to preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration next July and is part of a broader campaign by Trump allies to cement the President’s legacy through patriotic projects and national institutions.
The Post reported that US Treasurer Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Brown repeatedly pressed bureau officials to proceed with draft designs despite federal statutes that currently prohibit living individuals from appearing on American currency.
One concept obtained by the newspaper reportedly features a large portrait of Trump in the center of the note alongside the signatures of both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
British artist Iain Alexander, who said he worked on the design after discussions with Trump, told the newspaper the President personally approved several revisions, including the addition of red, white, and blue patriotic styling as well as imagery tied to America’s semiquincentennial celebration.
“He absolutely loved it,” Alexander said of Trump’s reaction.
Existing law, however, remains a major obstacle to the proposal.
The Thayer Amendment of 1866 prohibits living people from appearing on US currency after a Treasury official during the Civil War era controversially inserted his own likeness onto a bank note.
The ban also reflected America’s historic opposition to the European custom of placing reigning monarchs on national currency.
Still, Congress has the authority to change those rules through legislation.
Earlier this year, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced legislation instructing the Treasury Department to issue a $250 Federal Reserve note carrying Trump’s portrait, although the bill has not yet moved forward in Congress.
Treasury officials stressed that no currency would be produced unless lawmakers formally approve the measure.
“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,” a Treasury spokesperson said.
The discussion comes as the administration is also preparing for Trump’s signature to appear on American paper money for the first time.
The New York Times reported in March that US currency issued later this year would carry Trump’s signature alongside that of Bessent.
Backers of the proposal say the effort is a fitting tribute to Trump’s leadership during what supporters describe as America’s “Golden Age economic revival.” Opponents, meanwhile, argue the move would inject politics into one of the country’s most recognizable national symbols.
Financial and currency specialists warn that even if Congress approves the plan, implementation could take years because of anti-counterfeiting measures, Federal Reserve coordination, and the need to ensure compatibility with ATMs and other banking systems.
Despite those logistical hurdles, administration officials reportedly remain determined to advance the project ahead of next year’s major anniversary celebrations.
{Matzav.com}