Something New for American Money, By George

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by MARK POWELL

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Move over, George, Abe, and Andy. Come July, you guys won’t be the only presidential presence on America’s paper notes.

True, Washington, Lincoln, and Jackson (plus non-presidents Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin) will still stare at us from various denomination bills, just as they have for decades. But starting this summer, there will be a new wrinkle to U.S. paper money. (For those who still use cash.) And it will be historic.

It will feature President Donald Trump’s signature. It’s the first time a sitting president’s autograph has ever appeared on U.S. currency.

As you may know, federal law prohibits images of living people from appearing on our money – and with good reason. In 1862, Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase prominently plastered his face on the new one-dollar bill. Because Chase had challenged Abraham Lincoln for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination – and was widely expected to do so again in 1864 – his likeness made each bill a de facto campaign handout. 

A lot of folks in Washington didn’t like it. But with a war in full swing and staggering casualties mounting on the battlefield, whose face appeared on the money was a low priority. 

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It was a far different story in 1866, though. When a new five cent note came out (yes, they printed money for sub-dollar denominations back then to ease the strain on coin use), the public expected to see portraits of famous explorers Lewis and Clark.

What citizens got instead was Spencer M. Clark, a low-level bureaucrat in the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Without authorization, or even telling anyone in advance, he used his own photo! Americans were outraged – and congress promptly put its foot down. No more living people would appear on our money – period.

Strangely, though, this law was ignored a century ago when a special commemorative half dollar was issued celebrating America’s 150th birthday. This coin depicted both the first president, George Washington, and the very much alive incumbent, Calvin Coolidge.

While Trump’s face can’t be on our money, the law doesn’t say anything about signatures.   

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Trump’s administration is spinning the vaingloriousness by wrapping the president in the flag via the nation’s 250th birthday.

“The President’s mark on history as the architect of America’s Golden Age economic revival is undeniable,” Treasury secretary Scott Bessent insisted. “Printing his signature on the American currency is not only appropriate, but also well deserved.”

A national political strategist in Washington, D.C. responded to that statement with a single syllable of incredulity: “Huh?”

The timing is curious, with polls showing a growing number of Americans disapproving of Trump’s handling of the economy – and Democrats making affordability a front-and-center issue in the upcoming midterm elections.

“Are these guys tone deaf?” the strategist added.

A Midlands-area resident we spoke with was more to the point.

“What the hell does Trump’s signature on the money have to do with America’s birthday?” they asked.

It’s a valid question…

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The best U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach could offer up was a patriotic word salad.

“As the 250th anniversary of our great nation approaches, American currency will continue to stand as a symbol of prosperity, strength, and the unshakable spirit of the American people under President Trump’s leadership,” he said.

Observers point out that adding his signature to the currency fits into a broader picture of what some see as self-aggrandization. There’s the newly renamed “Trump-Kennedy Center” in Washington (formerly the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), the likewise renamed “Trump J. Trump Institute of Peace” (formerly the U.S. Institute for Peace), and a proposed new class of warships to bear his name.

The first piece of paper money to roll off the printing press in June bearing Trump’s signature will be the $100 bill, whose front still features Benjamin Franklin’s likeness. He was the Founding Father who famously said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” 

But Trump’s signature won’t be etched on the one-cent piece. His administration stopped minting them last November after a 232-year run.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

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