President Trump’s signature will appear on US paper currency later this year, the Treasury Department said on Thursday, in a change it described as part of commemorations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The decision would make Trump the first sitting president to have his signature printed on American banknotes. His name will appear alongside that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, while the signature of the US treasurer — a fixture on currency for more than a century — will be omitted under the new design.
“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than US dollar bills bearing his name,” Bessent said in a statement, adding that the change was appropriate for the semiquincentennial.
The move marks a departure from longstanding practice and is likely to draw scrutiny from historians and policymakers. Traditionally, US currency has carried the signatures of the Treasury secretary and the treasurer, a convention dating to the 19th century.
The Treasury Department said the change was being made to mark the anniversary, though it did not provide further details about how widely the new bills would circulate or whether the alteration would be permanent.
The decision is the latest example of Trump’s efforts to leave a visible imprint on national institutions since returning to office. His administration has supported proposals for commemorative coins bearing his likeness and has backed renaming efforts tied to federal landmarks.
During his first term, Trump’s signature appeared on economic stimulus checks distributed during the coronavirus pandemic, an unusual but not unprecedented practice.
The practice of signing US currency dates to 1861, when legislation under President Abraham Lincoln allowed the Treasury secretary to delegate signing authority. By 1914, both the Treasury secretary and the treasurer were routinely signing banknotes, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
More recently, the addition of new signatures to currency has sometimes been delayed by administrative factors. During the Biden administration, for example, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen’s signature did not immediately appear on new bills because a US treasurer had not yet been appointed.
