• The US Mint has launched a $1 coin featuring President Trump, marking a significant milestone.
• This is the first time in nearly 200 years that a living president has appeared on US currency.
• Coins sold quickly, running out of stock just hours after release.
• The coin commemorates America's 250th anniversary and incorporates designs approved earlier this year.
• There are legal considerations tied to displaying a living president's likeness on currency.

The U.S. Mint has officially launched a commemorative $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump, available for purchase starting Wednesday. This coin celebrates America's upcoming 250th anniversary and marks the first instance in nearly 200 years that a living president has appeared on U.S. currency. The coin displays Trump's likeness on the obverse side, accompanied by the inscriptions "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST," while the reverse showcases the Great Seal of the United States, according to CBS News, India Times, and Los Angeles Times.

With a gold finish, the new coin had prices starting from approximately $1.55, but it quickly became a hit, with rolls of 25 coins priced at $61 and bags of 100 for $154.50, shortly running out of stock just hours after release. The U.S. Mint reported that some special-issue coins marked "July 4th" were randomly included in the rolls, commemorating Independence Day, according to BBC and Al Jazeera.

This initiative received mixed reactions, primarily due to a federal law prohibiting the depiction of living presidents on U.S. currency. However, the Trump administration leveraged the 2020 Circulating Coin Design Act, allowing the Mint to issue commemorative coins for the nation's anniversary. As such, Trump's image appears legally on the obverse side of the coin, sidestepping this convention, according to India Times and Los Angeles Times.

The coin's design had prior approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, with President Trump himself expressing that the concept was "very unusual" while also noting his honor at the recognition. This reflects broader branding efforts during Trump's administration aiming to solidify his historical legacy, supported by Republican legislation that sought to allow for exceptions in such cases, according to CBS News, BBC, and Al Jazeera.