halt production – Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden asked the U.S. Mint to stop producing a 24-karat gold coin bearing President Donald Trump’s image for the nation’s 250th anniversary, warning it could be made with gold from cartel-owned mines and pressing for a public supp
For a 24-karat coin meant to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, the argument now isn’t about design. It’s about where the gold comes from.
On Thursday, two Democratic senators asked the U.S. Mint to halt production of a gold coin featuring President Donald Trump’s likeness. saying the metal could be tied to cartel-owned mines. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). the ranking members of the Senate Banking and Finance committees. wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Mint Director Paul Hollis to demand the Mint stop “all production” of the 250th anniversary 24-karat Trump gold coin and conduct a public supply chain audit to ensure the coins are not made with “illicit cartel-linked gold.”.
The request lands after a federal advisory panel last month—its members handpicked by Trump—approved a design for the 24-karat gold coin with the president’s likeness on the obverse. The coin is planned as a commemoration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. Approval came while. the senators said. there were internal discussions about putting Trump on a new $250 bill for the occasion—despite a U.S. law prohibiting living people from appearing on U.S. currency.
Warren and Wyden’s letter lays out a line of concern that goes beyond symbolism. They argued that the Mint should not make a coin intended to honor the country’s 250th anniversary from gold tied to exploitation and criminal activity. They wrote that it is “troubling enough” that the Mint developed a coin bearing the president’s image. calling it “more befitting a monarchy than a democracy. ” and said the very least the Mint should do is ensure the coin is not linked to harm.
They also demanded answers by June 18, listing six questions that include where the coin is in the production process and what due diligence was conducted to determine the origin of the gold used.
The letter adds to a broader fight inside Washington over whether Trump’s administration will follow existing restrictions on imagery in American currency. Last week, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) predicted that even with the law barring living people on U.S. currency, the administration will proceed anyway.
Smith said, “Do I expect them to follow the law?. No. I don’t. ” and added: “I mean. they’re supposedly asking us this session to change the Department of Defense to the Department of War. But again, they’ve already done that. So no, I’m sure Trump will print up his $250 bill just like he put his name on the money.”.
The senators’ move is now pushing the debate toward compliance and verification, not just politics—demanding that the Mint pause production, open up its supply chain, and show what it knows about the gold powering a commemorative coin meant to belong to all Americans.
U.S. Mint 24-karat gold coin Trump Elizabeth Warren Ron Wyden Scott Bessent Paul Hollis Senate Banking Committee Senate Finance Committee 250th anniversary of U.S. independence cartel-linked gold supply chain audit U.S. currency law