Treasury unveils fresh photos of Trump's $1 gold coin

Driving the news: Bessent shared a first-look photo Wednesday of a gold coin featuring Trump's face as a way "to honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism."

• "Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all," Bessent wrote on X.

Yes, but: Federal law bars putting living people's faces on U.S. coins.

• The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 only permits $1 coins honoring deceased presidents.
• The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 prohibits any portraits of living people on the "tails" side of a coin.
• Similarly, 31 U.S. Code § 5112 states that no coins shall be made that "bear the image of a living former or current President," or any dead president within two years of their death.

The other side: The Treasury Department pointed to a March press release and Bessent's previous comments about the coin when reached for comment Wednesday.

• The Treasury Department argued last October that the coin can be released under the CCCRA because it allows for "designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial."
• A Treasury Department spokesperson pointed to an Independent article that reported the U.S. Mint already conducted research that suggested the coin's development would not violate any laws.

• The spokesperson said the coin is already in production and would be released this fall.

How it works: Congress authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce coins, while the Treasury secretary approves coin designs and issuance, according to the U.S. Mint.

Fun fact: Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, issued a half-dollar coin in 1926 that included himself and George Washington to commemorate America's 150th anniversary, according to the U.S. Mint.

Go deeper: 5 changes Trump could make to U.S. currency

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Treasury Department comment.