WASHINGTON– The U.S. Mint has begun producing a new $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump’s face to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.

The final design of the commemorative coin, which will be released in the fall, was approved earlier this year by the United States Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. But the finished product unveiled Wednesday differs from that version in some ways, including the fact that it is not made of gold but has a gold finish.

The coin is intended to “honor the enduring legacy of freedom and an enduring symbol of patriotism,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X. “With President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values ​​and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all.”

Trump, a Republican, has a penchant for putting his name and image in the historical record, after renaming the United States Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center performing arts center and a new class of battleships, among other tributes. The decision to put his face on the gold coin has drawn criticism, particularly because federal law prohibits the depiction of a living president on U.S. currency, although the Treasury secretary has the authority to authorize the minting and issuance of coins in some circumstances.

The obverse of the coin features an image of Trump wearing a suit and tie with a stern expression on his face. The letters on the top half of the coin’s arc spell “LIBERTY,” with the dates 1776-2026 on the bottom half of the arc. The words “IN GOD WE TRUST” are in the middle.

The reverse features the traditional image of the bald eagle on the Great Seal of the U.S., with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” on the top half of the coin and the Latin phrase “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” meaning “Out of many, one,” on the shield stamped on the bird’s chest.

Among the other differences from the design approved earlier this year is that Trump does not have his fists resting on what is supposed to be a desk as he leans forward. The Treasury Department did not specify Wednesday why the final product diverged from the originally approved design.

The Treasury Department announced in March that it would put Trump’s signature on all new US bills.

Traditionally, U.S. paper money bears the signatures of the Treasury secretary and treasurer, not the president.

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.