USD 250 note proposal prompts US Treasury to draft Donald Trump portrait prototypes

US Treasury officials were reported to have sought early work on a possible USD 250 banknote carrying President Donald Trump’s portrait. The proposal needs a new Act of Congress, because federal law allows only deceased people on US notes. The move was linked to plans marking America’s 250th anniversary, according to The Washington Post.

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The Washington Post said US Treasurer Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Brown asked staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) to prepare prototypes. The report said Beach shared draft designs with bureau staff in August and September. Treasury employees told the paper one draft placed Trump’s face centrally on the note.

USD 250 note and Trump portrait needs Congress approval

Under current US rules, living people cannot appear on currency. Congress would need to pass fresh legislation to allow Trump’s image on a banknote. The Post also noted that no living person has been shown on US currency since 1866. That practice ended after a mid-level Treasury official appeared on a five-cent note.

A draft law to allow Trump on a USD 250 note was introduced in Congress last year. The bill aimed to tie the note to the country’s 250th anniversary. The Post reported that one mock-up placed the portrait between the signatures of the president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The designs were described by Treasury Department employees.

USD 250 note planning and BEP due diligence statement

A Treasury Department spokesperson told The Post the printing office was doing planning and checks. "Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a USD 250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognise the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,\" the spokesperson said. The statement linked the work to the proposed legislation.

The Post said the mock-up artist had discussed the idea with Trump. British painter Iain Alexander told the newspaper Trump backed changes to the early design. The reported edits included adding American flag colours and a logo marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. These elements were meant to align with the anniversary theme.

Trump administration 250th anniversary plans and proposed memorials

The attempt to create a USD 250 note came as the Trump administration planned anniversary events starting this July. Trump proposed a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. Trump also suggested a Garden of Heroes in Washington with 250 statues. These proposals were presented as part of the wider 250th anniversary programme.

Separate from the note plan, Trump was set to appear on a commemorative gold coin. The 24-karat coin was described as showing Trump leaning on the Resolute desk with clenched fists. It would be only the second time a living US president appeared on a coin. Earlier, Calvin Coolidge featured on a 1926 commemorative coin with George Washington.

Gold coin design approval and Trump signature on US paper currency

The US Commission on Fine Arts approved the gold coin design at a meeting on March 19. The coin was to be minted after final dimensions were decided. On March 26, the US Treasury said Trump’s signature would appear on US paper currency soon. It described this as the first such case for a sitting president since 1861.

Questions remained about the legality of the coin plan, even as preparations continued. The Post report placed the coin and banknote efforts within the same anniversary period. Any USD 250 note with Trump’s portrait still depends on Congress changing the law. Until then, the BEP’s work remains preparatory and tied to proposed legislation.

With inputs from PTI