US paper currency will feature President Donald Trump’s signature for the first time beginning this summer, marking a historic shift in American banknote design. The Treasury Department confirmed on Thursday that the updated notes part of a broader redesign commemorating the 250th anniversary of US independence will also drop the signature of the US treasurer for the first time in 165 years.
The first redesigned $100 bills, bearing the signatures of President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, are scheduled to be printed in June, with other denominations to follow. It may take several weeks for the new notes to enter circulation through banks. For now, the Treasury continues producing bills signed by former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and former Treasurer Lynn Malerba, whose signature will be the last in an unbroken line dating back to 1861.
The signature change is the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration and its allies to place the president’s name on federal programs, institutions, warships and commemorative items. Just last week, a federal arts panel appointed by Trump approved a design for a gold commemorative coin featuring his image.
Treasury Secretary Bessent said the updated currency is fitting for the Semiquincentennial, citing what he described as strong economic performance during Trump’s second term. “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,” he said.
Efforts to create a circulating $1 Trump coin were halted due to laws prohibiting depictions of living individuals on US coins. However, statutes governing Federal Reserve notes give the Treasury broad authority to update designs to combat counterfeiting, provided certain elements such as the phrase “In God We Trust” and the use of portraits of deceased individuals remain unchanged.
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