President Donald Trump is preparing to usher in a major shift for US paper money, breaking with longstanding convention.
As part of plans tied to the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary, the Treasury is moving ahead with a redesign of paper notes set to begin this summer. The update is expected to introduce a notable first in more than a century and a half.
July 4, 2026—Independence Day—marks 250 years since the country declared independence, and nationwide commemorations are expected to accompany the milestone.
One of the biggest changes involves the signature printed on US banknotes. Instead of carrying the US treasurer’s signature, the redesigned bills are set to display President Trump’s signature.
According to Reuters, it would be the first time a sitting US president has signed American currency.
The Treasury announced the plan this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement: “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability.
“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.”
The new notes are expected to enter production in June, though officials anticipate it could take several weeks before they begin appearing in circulation.
Treasurer Brandon Beach also commented on the change, saying: “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,”
“The President’s mark on history as the architect of America’s Golden Age economic revival is undeniable. Printing his signature on the American currency is not only appropriate, but also well deserved.”
The signature update is expected to be part of a broader slate of government actions connected to the anniversary celebrations, with more commemorative items anticipated in the months ahead.
Among them is a newly approved commemorative gold coin, which is set to feature an image of Trump standing at a desk.
Officials have also floated a proposal for a Trump-themed $1 coin. That idea has drawn criticism because federal law restricts using the image of a sitting president—or a living former president—on a non-commemorative coin.
Since the proposal was revealed last October, Democrats have pushed to prevent the $1 coin from moving forward.
Senators Jeff Merkley and Catherine Cortez Masto are leading an effort to block it, with Merkley previously calling the proposal an “abuse of taxpayer dollars”.
“President Trump’s self-celebrating maneuvers are authoritarian actions worthy of dictators like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, not the United States of America,” he said in a statement.