US Treasury Prepares $250 Trump Bill as Congress Weighs 250th Anniversary Exception
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 28
US Treasury Prepares $250 Trump Bill as Congress Weighs 250th Anniversary Exception
6 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 28
Treasury said it is doing planning and due diligence for a $250 commemorative note that could carry Donald Trump's portrait if Congress changes federal law.
Two legal hurdles stand in the way: current rules bar living people on US currency, and existing denomination law does not include a $250 bill.
Scott Bessent said the department would follow whatever Congress decides, while Senator Mark Warner attacked the plan as a misuse of attention and taxpayer resources amid high household costs.
The $250 figure is meant to mark the nation's 250th anniversary, but note development usually takes years, making issuance by July 4 uncertain.
The proposal would extend a broader Trump branding push that has already put his signature on anniversary notes and his name or likeness on other national symbols.
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?