Trump Appointees Pushed $250 Note With His Face as Treasury Reassigned BEP Chief

5 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · May 28

$250 note prototypes bearing Donald Trump’s face were repeatedly sought last year by U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and adviser Mike Brown, according to a Washington Post report citing four Bureau of Engraving and Printing employees.
Federal law allows only deceased individuals on U.S. currency, and BEP director Patricia Solimene warned the note was unauthorized and would take years to produce even if approved.
Solimene was abruptly reassigned on April 27 and Brown has since taken over her role; Treasury denied Beach asked staff to print the bill before Congress acted and would not explain her removal.
Trump is already appearing on new $100 bills through his signature — a first for a sitting president — while Treasury says it is doing planning in case Congress authorizes a commemorative $250 note.
Any such bill still faces a major hurdle: lawmakers floated legislation last year, but it has not passed, and former BEP officials say a redesign alone can take more than 10 years.

How does placing a living president on a coin compare to past commemorative currency practices in U.S. history?

What are the legal steps required for Congress to authorize an entirely new banknote denomination for circulation?