Trump signature to appear on U.S. bills
Treasury redesign drops treasurer signature
U.S. paper currency will begin bearing President Donald Trump’s signature this summer, the Treasury Department announced, marking the first time a sitting president’s signature will appear on Federal Reserve notes. The redesign, tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence, will also for the first time in 165 years remove the signature of the U.S. treasurer from U.S. bills; the treasurer’s signature has appeared on currency continuously since 1861.
The first new $100 notes carrying Trump’s signature alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s are scheduled to be printed in June, with other denominations to follow in subsequent months; these notes may take several weeks to enter circulation. Meanwhile, currency bearing the signatures of former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and former Treasurer Lynn Malerba is still being produced, and Malerba will be the last treasurer whose signature appears on U.S. federal currency under the long-standing practice.
Treasury officials said overall bill designs will remain unchanged except for the signature swap, and stressed the authority granted by statute to update note designs to guard against counterfeiting while retaining mandatory elements such as “In God We Trust” and portraits of deceased individuals. The move is part of broader efforts by the administration and its allies to place the president’s name and image on public symbols; a federal arts panel recently approved a commemorative gold coin bearing Trump’s likeness, while a circulating $1 Trump coin faces legal limits on depicting living persons.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions. Supporters framed the change as fitting for the nation’s semiquincentennial and reflective of strong economic performance cited by the administration, while critics warned it risks politicizing national symbols and breaking longstanding, nonpartisan tradition. Treasury said the redesign follows formal review for security and printing standards; existing bills will remain legal tender as the new notes are phased in.
