Mar 28, 2026
The president's signature will replace the U.S. Treasurer's on every new bill starting this summer — a first in American history.
For the first time since the U.S. government began printing paper money in 1861, a sitting president's signature is going on the dollar bills in your wallet.
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The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday that President Donald Trump's signature will appear on all new paper currency, replacing the U.S. Treasurer's signature and ending a tradition going back 165 years. The administration says it's a tribute to the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary on July 4.
Scott Bessent said in a statement that 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" (1).
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach echoed the praise, calling Trump "the architect of America's Golden Age economic revival" and the signature "not only appropriate, but also well deserved."
The first $100 bills with Trump's name should start rolling off the presses in June, with other denominations to follow in the coming months. The overall bill designs won't change — Trump's name simply replaces the Treasurer's in the existing layout.
Why no president has ever done this
If you've ever squinted at the bottom of a dollar bill, you've seen two signatures — one from the Treasury Secretary and one from the U.S. Treasurer. That pairing has appeared on American currency since 1914. Before that, the Register of the Treasury and the Treasurer signed bills dating back to when Congress authorized the first "greenbacks" in 1862 to fund the Civil War.
Presidents have simply never been part of the signing tradition — not because a law explicitly bans it, but because no administration has ever attempted it.
Trump's signature will replace that of U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose name has never actually appeared on currency. Bills currently in circulation still carry the signatures of Biden-era officials Janet Yellen and Lynn Malerba — with Malerba becoming the last in an unbroken line of Treasurers to sign federal currency.
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Everything’s getting a bit more Trump
The signature is part of a bigger push to put the president's name and image on American currency and institutions.
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Earlier this month, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — whose members Trump appointed after firing the previous commission — approved the design for a 24-karat commemorative gold coin bearing his image (2).
The commission is also reviewing a proposed $1 coin featuring Trump, though federal law prohibits depicting a living president on circulating currency (3). Those coins are part of a set of 250th anniversary releases that have already drawn scrutiny over what parts of American history they choose to highlight.
Beyond currency, Trump's name is now on the Kennedy Center, the U.S. Institute of Peace, a new class of warships and a Florida roadway (3, 4). The administration has also slapped the Trump name on TrumpRx, a prescription drug discount website, and the Trump Gold Card residency program.
The debate
Not everyone sees this the same way. Jovita Carranza, who served as U.S. Treasurer during Trump's first term, told Reuters the change is "a powerful symbol of American resilience, the enduring strength of free enterprise and the promise of continued greatness" (5). Michael Bordo, director of the Center for Monetary and Financial History at Rutgers University, told the Associated Press the move likely doesn't cross any legal lines since the Treasury Secretary has broad authority over currency design — and added that the signed bills could become collectors' items.
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican economist who served in the George W. Bush administration and formerly led the Congressional Budget Office, questioned whether the move served the national interest. Noting that Trump has a full agenda and that fewer people are using cash, Holtz-Eakin told the New York Times it "may be the ultimate act of futility" (6).
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Democrats pushed back hard. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) wrote on X that the plan is "gross and un-American," adding that "at least it will remind us who to thank when we pay more for gas, goods, and groceries." California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on social media that Americans "will know exactly who to blame" for rising costs.
The criticism comes as grocery and gas prices soar — fueled by the war in Iran, which began Feb. 28. Democrats in Congress have also introduced legislation that would ban any living or sitting president from appearing on U.S. czurrency.
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The cash irony
Here's the twist: cash accounts for just 14% of all U.S. payments, according to the Federal Reserve (7).
The average American makes about seven cash transactions per month out of roughly 48 total — and even then, two-thirds of those payments come from people who'd rather use cards.
Trump himself ordered the Treasury to stop minting new pennies in February 2025. The U.S. Mint struck the last circulating penny that November — and some people tried to cash in on the hype.
What this means for your money
If you're wondering whether this changes anything practical — it doesn't. All existing U.S. currency remains valid regardless of whose signatures appear on it. What changes is precedent. For 165 years, American paper money carried the names of Treasury officials — not the president. Whether you see this as a fitting tribute to the nation's 250th birthday or an unnecessary politicization of the currency, the bills will start rolling out this summer either way.
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Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
U.S. Department of the Treasury (1); CBS News (2); Associated Press (3); PBS (4); Reuters (5); New York Times (6); The Federal Reserve (7)
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Rudro is an Editor with Moneywise. His work has appeared on Yahoo Finance, MSN Money and The Financial Post. He previously served as Managing Editor of Oola, and as the Content Lead of Tickld before that. Rudro holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Toronto.
