The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday that President Donald Trump’s signature will appear on American paper currency starting this summer, marking the first time a sitting president has signed U.S. money.
A Historic Signature Change
The redesigned notes, issued to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, will also for the first time in 165 years omit the signature of the U.S. Treasurer, who traditionally oversaw the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the U.S. Mint, and other Treasury functions.
The first $100 bills featuring Trump’s signature alongside that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are slated for printing in June, with additional denominations to follow in the coming months. While the bills will initially be produced with the old signatures of former Treasury officials Janet Yellen and Lynn Malerba, the new notes will gradually circulate through banks nationwide.
“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,” Bessent said.
Ending a Centuries-Old Tradition
Malerba will be the last in a continuous line of treasurers whose signatures have appeared on U.S. currency since 1861. The move signals a dramatic shift in how presidential and Treasury signatures are represented on federal notes.
The overall design of the bills will remain unchanged, aside from the signature replacement. The law governing Federal Reserve notes gives the Treasury discretion to update designs to combat counterfeiting while maintaining key elements, including the motto “In God We Trust”, and only allows portraits of deceased individuals.
Part of Trump’s Broader Branding Effort
This signature change follows a series of initiatives by Trump and his allies to place his name and image on U.S. institutions and programs. Last week, a federal arts panel approved a 24-carat commemorative gold coin featuring Trump, adding to his name’s presence on government buildings, coins, and other initiatives.
Former treasurer Jovita Carranza, who served under Trump’s first term, called the signature move “a powerful symbol of American resilience, the enduring strength of free enterprise and the promise of continued greatness.” Current treasurer Brandon Beach praised Trump as the “architect of a golden age economic revival.”
Circulating Coin Efforts Limited
An attempt to issue a circulating $1 Trump coin remains stalled due to legal restrictions prohibiting the depiction of living individuals on U.S. coins.
The upcoming currency redesign is expected to make Trump’s signature a ubiquitous part of daily life for Americans and a lasting symbol of his second term, tying his name directly to the nation’s historic Semiquincentennial celebrations.
