Senior Treasury Department appointees have pushed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare designs for a new $250 bill featuring President Donald Trump, a proposal that would require Congress to change federal law before it could become reality.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and senior adviser Mike Brown have urged bureau officials since last year to develop prototypes for the note, according to multiple current and former employees. The proposal would place a living president on U.S. currency for the first time in more than 150 years.
The idea has drawn concern inside the bureau because federal law generally bars living people from appearing on U.S. currency. Officials also warned that creating a new denomination would require extensive coordination with the Federal Reserve, Secret Service, and other stakeholders, and could take six to eight years or longer.
In August and September, Beach shared mock-ups with staff. One design featured Trump’s face in the center of the proposed $250 note, alongside the signatures of the president and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. British artist Iain Alexander, who created the mock-up, said he discussed the design with Trump, who suggested adding American flag colors and a logo commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary, noted The Washington Post.
Breaking news: Trump administration officials have pressed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a $250 bill featuring the president’s portrait, in what would be the first appearance of a living person on U.S. currency in more than 150 years. https://t.co/S8sqdKSB7i
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 28, 2026
“He likes to call me his favorite British artist,” Alexander said.
Alexander, known for royal portraits including one of Queen Elizabeth II, said Trump “absolutely loved” a proposed reverse-side design centered on “women’s liberation” and featuring Betsy Ross.
No living person has appeared on U.S. currency since 1866, after a controversy involving a Treasury official whose image was placed on a 5-cent note. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced legislation last year to authorize a $250 note for America’s 250th anniversary, but the measure has not significantly advanced.
A Treasury Department spokesperson said the Bureau of Engraving and Printing “is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence” in response to the legislation.
“Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,” the statement said.
The proposal faces legal and procedural barriers, but the bureau did agree to a separate administration request: producing $100 bills bearing Trump’s signature, the first time a sitting president’s signature has appeared on American currency.
“Based on the recommendation of U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, Secretary Bessent will recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Trump by adding his signature to the currency,” Treasury said.
Currency experts said a presidential signature may be permissible, but a banknote featuring a living president’s portrait would likely require new legislation. Larry R. Felix, a former bureau director, said “a $250 note is not statutorily authorized” without congressional action.
Felix also noted that any new denomination would require years of technical development, testing, and security coordination before entering circulation.
The proposal fits within the administration’s broader plans to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, including proposed monuments and recently issued passports featuring Trump’s portrait. Alexander said he was told congressional approval would be needed for the $250 bill and said it has been difficult to obtain timely feedback from Trump amid other international priorities.
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