The Washington Post reported that officials in Donald Trump’s administration are pursuing a plan to print a $250 bill featuring his image to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Current U.S. laws prohibit placing the image of living individuals on American currency, and implementing such a plan would require approval from Congress.
According to the report, appointees at the U.S. Treasury Department have repeatedly pressured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing since last year to design a prototype $250 bill featuring Donald Trump.
If implemented, this would mark the first appearance of a living person on U.S. banknotes in more than 150 years.
Sources say Brandon Beach, the U.S. Treasurer, and his senior adviser Mike Brown presented trial designs in August and September, one of which showed Donald Trump’s image at the center of the $250 bill.
Ayin Alexander, the British artist who says he designed the sample, emphasized that he created it in coordination with and based on feedback from Donald Trump, the U.S. president.
A Treasury spokesperson stated that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing “conducts the necessary planning and evaluations in response to proposed legislation” and, if the proposal becomes law, would proceed with producing the commemorative $250 bill.
Four Treasury Department employees said Patricia “Patty” Solimine, director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, was removed from her position and reassigned within the Treasury Department after raising concerns and objections about the proposal.
She had warned that serious legal and technical obstacles exist and that designing such a banknote could take years. At the same time, reports suggest that $100 bills bearing Donald Trump’s signature are also being printed.
Experts say printing a $250 bill without congressional approval is impossible, because in addition to legal restrictions, it would require extensive coordination with financial and security institutions.
Writer:Salima Hakimi
