British artist Iain Alexander is designing a proposed $250 [1] U.S. banknote featuring former President Donald Trump.

The project is significant because it challenges long-standing federal regulations regarding U.S. currency. Current laws generally prohibit living persons from appearing on banknotes, making the proposal a direct confrontation with established monetary policy.

Alexander said the design is a controversial one that incorporates Trump's portrait and a mugshot [1]. The artist said the project is connected to his relationship with the former president. "He likes to call me his favorite British artist," Alexander said [3].

Reports indicate that officials associated with Trump are pushing for the creation of the $250 [1] bill. This effort persists despite the federal ban on placing living individuals on currency [2]. The artist has discussed the design while based in the United Kingdom, though the banknote is intended for use in the United States [1].

The proposal represents a departure from standard U.S. Treasury protocols. While the artist has confirmed his role in the creation of the bill, the legal path to official issuance remains unclear given the statutory restrictions on living portraits. The design process focuses on a denomination that does not currently exist in the standard U.S. currency circulation.

“"He likes to call me his favorite British artist."”

The proposal for a $250 banknote serves as a symbolic challenge to federal law and Treasury Department norms. Because U.S. law restricts the use of living persons on currency to prevent the glorification of current political figures, any attempt to formalize this bill would require legislative action or a high-level legal exception, making it more of a political statement than a viable monetary policy change.