The U.S. Mint has unveiled designs for coins commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence next year, featuring classical depictions of founding documents and the Revolutionary War. Notably, Donald Trump is absent, despite a push from some allies for his image.
These designs abandon concepts developed during Joe Biden’s presidency, which highlighted women’s suffrage and civil rights. The Mint instead favored traditional America over a more inclusive society.
The coins will form part of America 250 celebrations next year, marking the Declaration of Independence. All U.S. coins minted will uniquely display their mint year and 1776.
No design was released for a $1 coin, though U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose duties include oversight of the U.S. Mint, serving as a liaison with the Federal Reserve and overseeing Treasury’s Office of Consumer Policy, confirmed in October that one showcasing Trump was in the works.
A draft design showed Trump’s profile on the “heads” side, known as the obverse, and on the reverse, a depiction of Trump raising his fist after his attempted assassination, The words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” appear along the top.
By law, presidents typically can’t appear on coins until two years after their death, but some advocates for a Trump coin think there may be a loophole in the law authorizing the treasury to mint special coins for the nation’s 250th birthday.
Neither the Mint nor the Treasury Department responded when asked whether a Trump coin is still planned.
New designs will appear only on coins minted in 2026, with the current images returning the following year.
The nickel, dime and five versions of the quarter will circulate, while a penny and half dollar will be sold as collectibles.
Five versions of the quarter are planned depicting the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address.
The dime will show a depiction of Liberty, a symbolic woman facing down the tyranny of the British monarchy, and an eagle carrying arrows in its talons representing America’s fight for independence.
The commemorative nickel is essentially the same as the most recent nickel redesign, in 2006, but it includes two dates on the head’s side instead of one, 1776 and 2026.
A half-dollar coin shows the face of the Statue of Liberty on one side. The other shows her passing her torch to what appears to be the hand of a child, symbolizing a handoff to the next generation.
The penny is essentially the same as the one in circulation, which was discontinued earlier this year and will be produced only as a collectible with two dates.
