The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced that newly printed paper currency will include President Donald Trump’s signature alongside that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, marking the first time a sitting president’s signature will appear on U.S. bills.
The change is scheduled to begin with $100 notes printed in June, with additional denominations updated in the months that follow. The rollout is timed to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence, known as the Semiquincentennial. Updated bills are expected to enter circulation through banks several weeks after production begins.
The shift represents a departure from long-standing practice. Since 1861, U.S. currency has included the signature of the U.S. treasurer, a feature that will now be eliminated. Lynn Malerba, who served as treasurer under former President Joe Biden, will be the last to have her signature appear on U.S. paper money. Current Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose signature has not yet appeared on any notes, has endorsed the change, according to Reuters.
Treasury officials said the broader design of U.S. currency will remain intact, aside from replacing the treasurer’s signature with that of the president. The department cited its authority under existing law to modify design elements to deter counterfeiting while maintaining required features, including portraits of deceased individuals and the phrase “In God We Trust.” Federal law continues to prohibit portraits of living individuals on coins, a restriction that has blocked prior proposals for a Trump-themed $1 coin.
In a statement, Bessent framed the move as a symbolic recognition of both the country’s milestone anniversary and the administration’s economic record. “There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S. dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial,” Bessent said.
The decision aligns with a broader effort by the Trump administration and its allies to incorporate the president’s name into federal symbols and commemorations. Recent initiatives have included proposals affecting buildings, programs, naval assets, and commemorative coins. A federal arts panel last week approved a design for a gold coin bearing Trump’s likeness.
Former Treasurer Jovita Carranza, who served during Trump’s first term, praised the change as “a powerful symbol of American resilience, the enduring strength of free enterprise and the promise of continued greatness.” Beach offered a similar assessment, describing Trump as the “architect of a golden age economic revival.” Malerba declined to comment.
The Treasury Department will continue issuing notes bearing signatures from the previous administration, including those of former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Malerba, during the transition period. Officials have not released a visual mock-up of the redesigned $100 bill and have not specified the exact placement of the new signatures, though the treasury secretary’s signature traditionally appears on the lower right of the note’s face.
The announcement was first reported by Vanity Fair and comes as federal officials prepare a series of commemorative initiatives tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
