The $1 Trump coins are here. Why spending them is legal but tricky

The U.S. Mint began selling $1 Trump coins Wednesday. Why it matters: The Trump coin sits in a rare middle ground: The Mint is promoting it as a collectible, but under federal law, it has a face value of $1 and can be used as real money. Driving the news: The U.S. Mint says the Trump coins are now "in circulation, so check your pocket change." The coins can be purchased in 25-coin rolls for $61 and 100-coin bags for $154.50. The U.S. Mint's website says the coins have "circulating finishes but have never been placed into circulation. However, they may be still used as legal tender." The big picture: Trump's coin has raised legal questions over whether a sitting president can appear on U.S. money. Why the Trump coin is "legal tender" "Legal tender" refers to U.S. money that can pay debts, taxes, dues and public charges, according to federal law. The U.S. Mint deems the $1 Trump coin legal tender with a face value of $1, regardless of what a collector pays for it. Yes, but: Legal tender doesn't guarantee every store will accept Trump coins. Federal law generally lets private businesses decide what forms of payment they'll accept. Americans have been reluctant to spend $1 coins. The Sacagawea dollar from the early 2000s struggled despite a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, and the government stopped circulating presidential $1 coins in 2011 due to low demand. Debate over Trump coin as currency Catch up quick: Since the Trump coin was announced, questions have emerged about its design and legality because some federal laws restrict living people's portraits on U.S. coins. The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 permits only $1 coins honoring deceased presidents issued under that presidential series and the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 prohibits any portraits of living people on the "tails" side of a coin. The other side: The Treasury Department argued in October 2025 that the coin can be made because the CCCRA does allow for "designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial." In July, a Treasury spokesperson pointed Axios to an Independent article reporting that the U.S. Mint had researched whether developing the coin would violate the law. Case in point: Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, appeared alongside George Washington on a 1926 half-dollar celebrating America's 150th anniversary. The law authorizing the coin specifically said it "shall be legal tender in any payment to the amount of their face value." Although they sold for $1 apiece, their value was 50 cents. The bottom line: The Trump $1 coin is real money, but that doesn't mean it can be spent everywhere. Go deeper: 5 changes Trump could make to U.S. currency

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