An obscure federal panel is reportedly standing in the way of President Donald Trump’s plan to mint commemorative coins for America’s 250th birthday.
As part of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration this summer, the Trump administration has proposed two new coins: a one-dollar coin featuring the president in profile and a gold commemorative coin depicting Trump seated at his desk with his fists planted firmly before him. The reverse design for the gold coin reportedly includes a bald eagle perched atop the Liberty Bell.
But before any new coin can be struck, federal law requires review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), a little-known entity established by Congress in 2003 to review themes and designs for circulating and commemorative coins and national medals. The committee then makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Treasury, who has final authority over what designs are approved.
According to The New York Times, the committee is now using its limited procedural powers to delay consideration of the proposed Trump coins. At its most recent monthly meeting, acting chairman Donald Scarinci — a lawyer and Democrat from New Jersey who has served on the panel for more than two decades — removed from the agenda a last-minute addition titled “review and discussion of a Semiquincentennial Gold Coin.” As a result, there was no discussion of the proposed coin.
Scarinci also used the meeting to criticize Trump, describing the Preisdent’s return to office in 2025 as “the darkest year of my 20 years of service” on the committee.
This is not the first time the panel has slowed consideration of a Trump coin. Last November, then-chairman Peter van Alfen removed discussion of the one-dollar Trump coin from the committee’s agenda, saying it had been added too late. A series of back-and-forth communications between the U.S. Mint and the committee reportedly followed, but no formal review took place.
The committee’s 11 members are all appointed by the Treasury Secretary and are intended to represent a cross-section of public and professional perspectives, including American history, numismatics, and medallic art. Four members are recommended by congressional leaders of both parties, three represent the general public, and four must have specialized qualifications.
While the committee is required to review coin designs, the Treasury Secretary ultimately has the final say. Current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously defended the proposal for a one-dollar coin featuring Trump, noting that the 2020 law authorizing semiquincentennial coins contains no explicit prohibition on placing a living person on the obverse of a coin.
The U.S. Mint has also indicated that it believes a majority of the committee made a “conscious decision not to review” the Trump coin portfolio. At a recent meeting, Mint attorney Greg Weinman declined to answer detailed questions about the origin of the proposals but stated that “the Mint has moved forward accordingly.”
With the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence approaching, the dispute raises a broader question: will a small advisory panel be able to delay or derail a commemorative effort backed by the President and the Secretary of the Treasury?
One way or another, the final decision rests not with the committee, but with the Treasury itself. While the panel may oppose the coins, the American people elected Trump and the senators who confirmed Bessent. They will have the final say.
Alan Jamison is the pen name of a political writer with extensive experience writing for several notable politicians and news outlets.
