James Rickher, a retired lawyer in Portland, has filed a federal lawsuit over plans to mint a commemorative gold coin featuring the face of President Donald Trump. The coin — in limited edition — is meant to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, according to the Commission of Fine Arts, which voted to approve the initiative.
Although President Trump hardly deserves to have his profile on money — and it is clear that the administration is using the nation’s anniversary as an opportunity to honor a pathological narcissist (and the dumbest leader the United States has ever had) — Mr. Rickher points to a purely legal obstacle.
Under Title 31 of federal law, only a deceased individual may appear on U.S. currency and securities. That rule, says Rickher in his lawsuit, is “black and white.” The only exception would be a narrow grant of discretion to the treasury secretary — but the former lawyer argues that discretion cannot override a clear statutory prohibition on living people.
The Treasury Department, however, seems to believe that a country celebrating its 250th year can best honor that milestone by stamping the face of a 78-year-old real estate mogul and reality TV host who hurt its citizens as no one has ever done before.
James Rickher. Oregonlive.com
Rickher says he plans to go the distance with the lawsuit. “They push boundaries all the time,” he said of the administration. “Why not push back?”
However, the real offense to the American people isn’t just legal. It’s aesthetic. Symbolism. It’s yet another example of a man who sees every national landmark, every anniversary, every official seal, and every shiny metal disk as a potential billboard for his own face.
Let us recall the evidence.
Trump Steaks (2007) — Launched with great fanfare, these high-end meats were sold primarily through the Sharper Image. The venture lasted about two months. Nothing says “cattle rancher” quite like a reality TV star from Queens selling frozen filets in a mall gadget store.
Trump Vodka (2006–2011) — A premium spirit launched by a man who, by his own admission, has never tasted alcohol. The tagline was “Success Distilled.” The reality was “Failure Fermented,” as the brand quietly evaporated.
Trump: The Game (1989 & 2004) — A Monopoly-style board game. The irony is exquisite: a game about accumulating vast wealth, created by a man who would later bankrupt several casinos. The original run sold only 800,000 copies. Apparently, Americans would rather pretend to be rich than pretend to be him.
Trump Ice (2003) — Bottled water sold exclusively at Trump properties. It was essentially tap water with a gold label. As of 2018, a single bottle could fetch nearly $700 on eBay — not because it was good, but because it was a monument to failure.
Trump Network (2009) — A vitamin company that required customers to submit urine samples in Trump-branded kits. There is a dark poetry here: paying for the privilege of peeing in a cup bearing the name of a man who would later try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
Trump University (2005–2010) — A for-profit “educational” institution that was not a university, offered no accredited degrees, and eventually paid a $25 million settlement to defrauded students. It rebranded to “Trump Entrepreneur Initiative” when regulators came knocking — because nothing says “integrity” like a settlement and a name change.
These ventures were not merely business failures. They were a specific pathology: the belief that the mere application of the Trump brand to any product — steak, water, or school — transforms it into gold. And now he is applying that same logic to the United States Mint.
Why stop at coins? Trump has already put his signature on the $100 bill, his face on 2026 National Park passes (right next to George Washington, because nothing says “conservation” like narcissism), and his name on the Kennedy Center, the Institute of Peace, a class of battleships, and a $1,000 savings account for newborns called the “Trump Account”.
There is even a “Trump Gold Card” for wealthy immigrants, because the Statue of Liberty’s poem clearly reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to… pay $1 million”.
As of now, final details on the coin remain undetermined. But history suggests a safe prediction: if Trump gets his way, the only face America sees on its 250th birthday will be his. The rest of citizens will just be left holding the bag — or in this case, the $250, 24-karat, three-inch-wide reminder that some people will never have enough.
Joseph Stalin, the former Soviet Union leader, could only dream about such a deep cult of personality.
Perhaps only the numismatics would appreciate the initiative. While it would not carry a monetary denomination, if minted after all, the coin could be hunted by every collector willing to own a piece of gold with the face of history’s only man truly unworthy such honor.