Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday the Treasury is taking limited steps to create a commemorative $250 [1] bill featuring Donald Trump.

The proposal represents a significant departure from U.S. currency tradition. If realized, it would mark the first time a living person has appeared on a piece of American legal tender, challenging long-standing norms regarding the selection of figures for national currency.

Bessent said to reporters during a press briefing in Washington, D.C. [2]. He confirmed that the Treasury Department has already developed a design for the note, but the project cannot proceed without legislative action. The effort is intended to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026 [3].

However, the proposal is currently blocked by a law dating back to 1866 [4]. This statute prohibits living persons from appearing on U.S. currency. For the $250 [1] bill to be printed, Congress would need to amend or repeal that law.

"At present, no living person can be on U.S. currency, and the currency must say 'In God We Trust,'" Bessent said [5].

Despite the legal hurdles, Bessent defended the concept of the commemorative note. He said there is "nothing untoward about Trump's face on a $250 bill" [6]. He reiterated that while the design is ready, the Treasury is waiting on the legislative branch to change the existing rules [7].

The Treasury's move comes as the nation approaches its semiquincentennial celebration. The introduction of a new denomination would be the first major change to the U.S. bill system in decades, though it remains purely conceptual until the 1866 [4] law is addressed.

“"We have a design ready, but it will only move forward if Congress changes the law."”

The push for a $250 bill underscores a tension between ceremonial commemorative goals and strict federal statutes. Because the 1866 law serves as a safeguard against the immediate politicization of currency, any attempt to bypass it would require a rare bipartisan or majority consensus in Congress to alter the legal framework of U.S. tender.