美国财政部长斯科特・贝森特于周三公布了一款新硬币设计效果图，硬币上印有唐纳德・特朗普总统肖像。他表示，美国铸币局将正式开铸这款 1 美元硬币，以此纪念《独立宣言》签署 250 周年。
“在美国纪念独立 250 周年之际，美国铸币局将铸造这款全新 1 美元纪念币，致敬自由不朽的传承，树立爱国主义永恒象征。” 贝森特在社交媒体发文称，“硬币印有特朗普总统形象，彰显美国价值观的力量，承载这个矢志守护全民自由的国家所怀揣的愿景。”
美国财政部一名发言人透露，这款硬币并非真金打造，只是外表带有仿金色镀层，将于今年秋季面世。
一个世纪前，美国曾在建国 150 周年纪念活动中，推出过硬币上印有在世总统形象的流通钱币，这也是迄今为止唯一先例。那枚半美元纪念币上，时任总统卡尔文・柯立芝的侧影置于乔治・华盛顿总统半身像后方。当年铸币局总计生产 100 万枚该硬币，但因市场需求低迷，最终有 86 万枚被回收熔毁。
按照惯例，在世总统肖像一般不得出现在美国货币上。但特朗普政府提出，依据《2020 年流通收藏硬币重设计法案》，财政部长有权主导铸造建国 250 周年特别纪念币，这款硬币因此具备合法性。法案同时规定，硬币背面不得印制任何人肖像，但该限制不适用于硬币正面。
联邦法律还规定，硬币设计方案须由财政部长征询美国美术委员会意见后选定。该委员会已于去年 3 月批准了本次设计;方案还必须经过跨党派机构 —— 公民钱币顾问委员会审核。该委员会成立于 2003 年，由国会设立，共 11 名成员，负责为钱币设计提供专业建议。
然而美国财政部似乎跳过了公民钱币顾问委员会的审核流程，这也令这款纪念币的铸造合法性遭到质疑。
周三接受美国广播公司采访时，该委员会两名成员表示，尽管铸币局曾在去年 11 月、12 月仓促尝试向委员会展示硬币方案，但委员会始终没能依法审核这套设计。
“我们从来没有见过任何一款印有唐纳德・特朗普肖像的设计稿。” 钱币收藏专家、民主党人唐纳德・斯卡林奇对美国广播公司说，他已在该委员会任职二十余年。
斯卡林奇介绍，原定 12 月召开的方案审议会议最终没能举行，原因是通知时间太短，无法凑齐达到法定人数的委员会成员。
在委员会 2 月的会议上，代表普通钱币收藏者的委员凯伦・霍德也表示，委员会没有机会对这款硬币发表意见，就连建国 250 周年系列 25 美分纪念币的最终设计，委员会同样无缘审核。
“我从未审阅过这款建国 250 周年 1 美元硬币的设计方案，更谈不上参与评估。铸币局在我没有机会审核方案的情况下推进生产，如今这么做是否合法?” 霍德在会议上向美国铸币局代理首席法律顾问格雷格・温曼提出质问。
温曼并不认同霍德的说法。他表示，铸币局的立场是：委员会自行决定放弃审核方案。
“我认为铸币局已经尽最大努力邀请公民钱币顾问委员会审阅设计方案，是委员会主动选择不予审核。铸币局因此继续推进相关工作。本次会议上我不便透露更多细节。” 温曼说道。
他之后补充：“我相信委员会主席完整收到了这套设计方案。在我看来，铸币局多次创造机会邀请委员会审核，最终是委员会、至少是委员会主席决定不开展审核。”
斯卡林奇对此评价：“财政部长无权擅自推出专属硬币，这种做法涉嫌违法。” 他还提到，国会有权没收这批硬币并取消其货币效力，委员会内部对这件事的担忧跨越党派分歧。
“单就这款硬币而言，这并不是民主党和共和党的对立问题。” 他说。
在委员会 1 月的会议上，美国铸币局设计管理办公室代理负责人梅根・沙利文曾向委员保证，铸造这款硬币符合法律规定。
“铸币局与财政部完成法律研判，认定这款拟发行硬币不存在违法情形，依据建国 250 周年纪念铸币相关法案，发行具备合法依据。” 她表示。
这款纪念币并不是财政部唯一带有特朗普印记的货币。今年印制的纸币上，特朗普的签名将会印在财政部长贝森特签名上方，在美国历史上，总统签名出现在纸币上尚属首次。贝森特本周早些时候接受福克斯新闻采访时表示，新版纸币同样将于今年秋季进入流通。
两名知情人士透露，今年 5 月，特朗普政府官员督促美国雕版印刷局推进一款面值 250 美元纪念钞的设计工作;若相关立法获得通过，纪念钞上将印有特朗普肖像与签名。
不过这项纪念钞相关法案，已经在美国众议院金融委员会搁置一年有余。
US Mint to begin striking dollar coin featuring Trump
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday released a rendering of a new coin featuring President Donald Trump, saying that the U.S. Mint will begin striking the $1 piece to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
"As America commemorates 250 years of independence, the [U.S. Mint] will begin striking this new $1 gold coin to honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism," Bessent wrote in a social media post. "Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all."
The coins -- which are not real gold but will feature a gold-like finish -- will be available in the fall, a Treasury Department spokesperson said.
Thelastand only time a living president was featured on hard currency struck by the U.S. Mint was a century ago for the U.S. Sesquicentennial. The half-dollar coin featured then-President Calvin Coolidge silhouetted behind the bust of President George Washington. At the time, the Mint produced a million of the coins with 860,000 of them ultimately returned and melted due to low demand.
While living presidents are generally barred from appearing on U.S. currency, the Trump administration has argued that the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 permits the design because it authorizes the Treasury secretary to oversee the minting of special coins for the nation's Semiquincentennial. And while the same law bars any person from appearing on the tail side of a coin, the restriction doesn't apply to its face.
Federal law also stipulates that coin designs be selected by the Treasury secretary after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts, which approved the design last March, and review from the bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, an 11-person body established by Congress in 2003 to advise on designs of hard currency.
But the Treasury Department appears to have skipped the latter committee, raising questions about the legality of the coin's production.
Speaking with ABC News on Wednesday, two members of the committee said aside from a few last-minute attempts by the Mint to present the proposed coin to the committee in November and December, the body never had a chance to review the design as required by law.
"We've never seen any design with the portrait of Donald Trump on it," Donald Scarinci, a numismatist and Democrat who's spent over two decades on the committee, told ABC News.
Scarinci said the proposed December meeting ultimately didn't occur because it was impossible to reach a quorum of members on such short notice.
During the committee's February meeting, another member of the board, Kellen Hoard, a coin collector who represents the general public, also said that the board received no opportunity to weigh in on the coin, nor did they review the designs ultimately selected for the Semiquincentennial series of quarters.
"I have never reviewed the Semiquincentennial $1 coin portfolio, much less been given an opportunity to review it. Is it legal now for the Mint to move forward with creating the Semiquincentennial $1 coin despite me never having the opportunity to review the piece?" Hoard asked acting Mint Chief Counsel Greg Weinman at the meeting.
Weinman replied that he did not agree with Hoard's characterization and said that the Mint's position is the board made the decision to not review the design.
"I think the Mint made a significant effort to request the CCAC to review the portfolio. There was clearly a conscious decision not to do so. The Mint has moved forward accordingly. I am not prepared to discuss more than that at this meeting," Weinman said.
"I believe the CCAC was given -- at least the chair of the CCAC was given a full opportunity to review this portfolio," Weinman added later. "The Mint, in my opinion, attempted multiple times to find an opportunity for the CCAC to review the portfolio. The CCAC made a decision not to. At least the chair of the CCAC made the decision not to."
"The concept that the secretary of the Treasury can create his own coin -- it's illegal," Scarinci said of the move, adding that Congress would have the authority to confiscate and demonetize the coins and that concern about the coin crosses partisan boundaries on the committee.
"This is not a Democrat-Republican issue as far as the coin is concerned," he said.
During a January meeting of the committee, acting chief of the U.S. Mint’s office of design management Megan Sullivan assured board members that the coin was legal.
"Legal research from both the Mint and the Department of the Treasury determined that the proposed coin would not violate any laws and is legal under the law authorizing the minting of coins for the Sesquicentennial," she said.
The coin is not the only piece of currency that the Treasury Department is putting Trump's imprint on. Paper currency printed this year will alsofeature Trump's signatureabove that of Bessent's -- a first for an American president. Bessent told Fox News earlier this week that, too, would go into circulation this fall.
In May, Trump administration officials pushed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to move forward with designing a commemorative $250 bill with Trump's portrait and signature, should legislation to create the new currency pass, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions.
That bill has been stuck in the House Financial Services Committee for more than a year.
