Trump's Trials - The Trump gold coin is not normal

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has voted to approve the design for a new commemorative gold coin.   On one side, an eagle in flight – on the other, a portrait of President Trump, staring directly at the viewer.  Federal law prohibits living people from being featured on U.S. coins – though the Trump administration believes the Treasury Department has authority here.  Moreover, it breaks a norm that dates to the beginning of the country.  Caroline Turco, a curator at the Money Museum of the American Numismatic Association, explains.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Trump's terms from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow. Every episode, we bring you a story from NPR's recent coverage of the 47th president, with a focus on ways he's using power like no president before him. Here is the latest from NPR. President Lincoln is the face of the penny. President Jefferson is on the nickel. FDR is on the dime.

George Washington is on the quarter. And as of last week, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts unanimously approved the design for an official U.S. mint-produced commemorative coin depicting President Trump. The vote is perhaps unsurprising since Trump fired the entire commission last year and installed his own slate. Also perhaps unsurprising, the coin will be made of 24-carat gold. Joining me now to talk about this is Caroline Turco. She is a curator at the Money Museum, which is run by the American Numismatic Association. Welcome to All Things Considered.

Thanks for having me. Let's start here. what's the best way to think about this? How unusual is it for a living U.S. President to appear on a coin? It would be unprecedented. It has happened once before in 1926 when Calvin Coolidge, celebrating the 150th anniversary of our independence, placed himself beside Washington. But at that time, it was not illegal. The legality of putting a living person on a coin did not occur until 1982. So if we're thinking about it in terms of an illegally minted coin, it would certainly be a first. So the Trump administration, I have to say, has argued that it's found legal loopholes to do this.

But I think the broader point that you and many other experts have said is this just goes widely against 250 years of norms in this country. Absolutely. You know, when we first looked at coinage, 1792, when the U.S. meant was first established, they went to George and said, we're ready for you. We need your portrait. You've got to be on our coins. and he said, to paraphrase, over my dead body. You know, he said, we just fought a war against monarchy. Why on earth would we replicate how monarchs put themselves on coins? For people who haven't seen this design, can you describe the coin and what you make of it just as a coin, the image they're presenting, what you think this is trying to say? You know, artistically, I think it's very strong.

And I mean that both in terms of a design and in terms of the emotions it's presenting. But the obverse or the front of the coin features President Trump. And he is very aggressively standing, you know, before his desk with clenched fists. His very chiseled face is angry, I might argue. It certainly is a powerful image. It's an aggressive image. And it's head on. And it's not the typical side.

Yes. That is very unusual. But it certainly is a question of whether or not that's an intentional I'm looking directly. at you sort of statement. And am I right that it's not just living presidents? There has been a precedent of don't put living people on the coin. It is. It is living people. Yes.

It just is a very clear cut. Like we want a clear view of who this person is before we put them on a coin. That's the reason, generally speaking, for this law, right? It's kind of the reason. I think it's more about who has control of the narrative. Because if you're putting an active political person on there, then they have control of that narrative coins. have been used as propaganda and as political messaging since the very beginning.

And that's been a lot of the concern. But in 2026, you know, like so many people just don't come into contact with cash and coins these days. Is this of limited propaganda value if that is a concern and partially part of the thinking? The majority of the American cash-based money that's used is used abroad. So domestically, I think you have something there that. like the the it would be very limited also if it's on a 24 karat gold commemorative coin the average human being is not ever going to see this have you seen the price of gold recently but internationally our coinage and if we were to continue in this direction and end up putting presidents on circulating coins that would become a significant messaging platform yeah it's worth

noting there's this whole separate proposal for a one dollar coin with trump's face it's not clear win or whether that would be meant it as well. But I want to go back to the start of this. This is a coin commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. If it were up to you, like what to you is a coin that best signifies the history of America? Which would you put forward at this moment? If it were up to me, it would have to be an image of Lady Liberty. We have used the concept of liberty, the allegory of liberty, since the very beginning of

our coinage when we first made it in 1792. to. And we did that on purpose. We did that to avoid putting our leadership on coins. So Liberty has represented our republic instead of rulers from the beginning. So that would be the most continuity, I think, that we could find in something for the 250th. That is Caroline Turco, a curator with the Money Museum in Colorado Springs. Thank you so much. You're so welcome. And before we wrap up, a thank you to our NPR Plus supporters who hear each show without sponsored messages and, of course, who help protect independent journalism. If you are not a supporter yet, you can visit plus.npr.org to find out how you can get a ton of podcast perks across dozens of NPR shows, like bonus episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Again, that's plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's terms.

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