US Mint releases one dollar coin featuring Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump's picture will now appear on the one dollar coin. This is Trump's latest attempt to leave his mark on American institutions.

On Wednesday, the US Mint released a one dollar coin. It has a picture of Trump and 'Liberty' and 'In God We Trust' engraved on it.

This coin has been released on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of America's independence.

The American Mint, which prints the currency, said that these coins are not being brought for everyday use, but are being sold for collection.

The law prohibits living presidents from appearing on US currency.

But this rule was circumvented by using a provision related to design in a special law made for the anniversary.

The price of a roll of 25 coins made for sale has been kept at $61 and the price of a bag of 100 coins has been kept at $154.50.

Within a few hours of the start of the sale, these coins started appearing 'out of stock' on the Mint's website. However, the website states that more coins are being made.

These coins were also being sold in vending machines installed at the US Mint outlet in Washington DC.

The BBC has contacted the US Mint, the US Treasury Department and the White House for more information.

The US Mint said that this coin has been made to celebrate this historic achievement of the country.

He said that this is a design prepared for the anniversary, which will make a special place in the collection of modern coins.

The color of these coins is golden, but they do not contain real gold. According to the US Mint, it contains 88.5 percent copper. The rest of the body is made up of zinc, nickel and an outer layer of manganese brass.

Although these coins are not in circulation, they can still be used to pay debts and taxes as they are legal tender.

But according to federal law, businesses can decide whether they will accept them or not.

In May, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said that his department was planning to issue a new $250 note with President Trump's photo.

At that time Besant had also told that before this another living American President had appeared on the country's currency.

The half dollar coin issued in 1926 on the occasion of America's 150th anniversary had the portrait of then President Calvin Coolidge.

The Trump administration has also cited the 'Circulating Collectable Coin Redesign Act' of 2020. This law was made during Trump's first term.

This law prohibits placing pictures of living people on the reverse side of coins. But there is no clear mention of such restriction on the front side of the coin.

Trump's picture on the new one dollar coins is on this front.

In March, the Treasury Department had announced that US paper currency would soon bear Trump's signature. This will also be a first for any sitting American President.