What to know about the Trump gold coin

The back is a bald eagle in flight. Fleeing in embarrassment?

What to know about the Trump gold coin
The model and the new Trump gold coin

Here’s what the Washington Post says about the new President Donald J. Trump gold coin:


 What to know 

The Trump administration's approval of a gold coin featuring a portrait of the 47th president breaks with U.S. norms against depicting living presidents on currency. The design, approved by the Commission of Fine Arts, symbolizes power and challenges democratic traditions. Critics liken it to Julius Caesar's self-aggrandizing coinage, raising concerns about the erosion of democratic norms.

But . . . It is not really currency,” which Merriam Webster defines as “circulation as a medium of exchange.”

The 24 karat gold coin — approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — is a commemorative coin, not intended for circulation.

Coins are a common form of gold held by people for investment. The weight of the Trump coin has not been revealed, but if one ounce, it would cost about $4,500. (The price of gold fluctuates constantly.) Not to insult the artist, but it looks flat and cheap. 

The front depicts the President in a suit, leaning forward with hands on a desk. The top bears the word "LIBERTY" and the dates 1776–2026 to mark the U.S. Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary).  The bottom reads, “In God We Trust,” giving the deity second billing.

The back is a bald eagle in flight. Fleeing in embarrassment?

It will be a limited production run. No doubt it will be a collector’s item, maybe like his Bitcoin.

As to the erosion of democratic norms, what else is new?

As to Julius Caesar, another needy, narcissistic leader, Trump just made it past the Ides of March.