President Donald Trump posted a new image Friday of a $100 bill bearing his signature, months after the Treasury Department announced that, for the first time in history, a sitting president’s name would appear on US paper currency.
The image, shared on Trump’s Truth Social account on July 3, shows the president’s signature positioned above Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s. Previously, $100 bills featured only the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the US Treasurer.
The Treasury Department announced the plan on March 26, 2026, in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Secretary Bessent said at the time: “There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than US dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial.”
The move marks the first time in 165 years that a sitting president’s signature will appear on American paper currency, according to Reuters and multiple official sources.
The New Currency
The first $100 bills with Trump’s signature began printing in June 2026, with other denominations — including the $1, $5, $10, $20, and $50 bills — to follow in subsequent months. The change represents a significant departure from a long-standing tradition dating back to 1861, when the US government first began printing paper money.
US Treasurer Brandon Beach said in the March announcement: “The President’s mark on history as the architect of America’s Golden Age economic revival is undeniable. Printing his signature on the American currency is not only appropriate, but also well deserved.”
Trump’s Imprint on America
Trump has made it a passion project to get his name and likeness on a wide-ranging array of US documents and landmarks. His administration also has put his image, name, or both on a commemorative US passport, national parks passes, banners outside various agencies in Washington, DC, cultural institutions like the US Institute of Peace, and special investment accounts for babies. Florida also renamed the Palm Beach International Airport after him.
Some in Congress have wanted to go a step further and put Trump’s likeness on currency, introducing a bill to get his portrait on a $250 anniversary bill. That outcome is far less likely, given it would need the support of Democratic senators in Congress. US code states that “Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities,” but the House bill seeks to “create an exception for individuals who are or were President of the United States.”
Earlier this year, staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing were preparing prototypes for the $250 bill featuring Trump’s portrait and signature. Bessent told CNN in May that he did not think “there’s anything untoward” about putting Trump’s portrait on US currency.
“I don’t think that there’s anything untoward about having the President of the United States — the person who was President of the United States — on the 250th anniversary bill,” Bessent said.
The Bottom Line
President Trump posted an image of a $100 bill bearing his signature, marking the first time a sitting president’s signature has appeared on US paper currency. The Treasury Department announced the plan in March to honor America’s 250th anniversary. The first $100 bills with Trump’s signature began printing in June, with other denominations to follow. Some lawmakers have proposed a $250 bill featuring Trump’s portrait, but the change would require congressional approval.
