A legal fight over a planned commemorative coin featuring President Donald Trump could run dangerously close to the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations next year, after a series of procedural delays pushed back key deadlines in the case.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Oregon, seeks to block the release of a proposed coin bearing Trump’s face that is intended to mark the country’s semiquincentennial on July 4, this year.
The plaintiff, Matthew Rickher, a retired lawyer who used to work for the Postal Service Inspection Service and is a coin collector, argues the design is unlawful and has asked the court to stop the coins from being sold while the wider case proceeds.
But the court has yet to decide whether to halt the coin’s release, and recent developments suggest that ruling may not come quickly.
Court Delays and Injunctions
The case was delayed in April after Rickher filed an amended version of the lawsuit and a revised request for a preliminary injunction—an emergency order that would temporarily block the coins. Judge Karin Immergut later noted the updated filings had not been properly served on the government, slowing proceedings while the issue was resolved.
The latest delay came this week, when both sides jointly asked the court to postpone the government’s formal response to the amended complaint until after the judge rules on the injunction request. On Monday, Immergut agreed, ordering that the government’s deadline be stayed until 21 days after her eventual decision on whether the coin can move forward.
That means the preliminary injunction ruling has now become the key decision in the case—one that could arrive increasingly close to the anniversary date the coin is meant to commemorate.
What the Lawsuit Against Trump’s Coin Argues
The lawsuit argues that the proposed Trump commemorative coin violates longstanding federal law banning living people from appearing on U.S. currency. Rickher said a planned 24-karat gold coin featuring Trump breaches a statute stating that “only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities.”
The U.S. Mint argues the coin should be allowed because it is a special commemorative gold coin, but Rickher argues it would still count as official U.S. currency because it would be issued by the Mint and carry a monetary denomination, meaning laws banning living people from appearing on U.S. money should still apply.
The lawsuit also points to legislation connected to the 250th anniversary of the United States, arguing Congress separately prohibited living people from appearing on semiquincentennial coins.
Rickher further alleges the approval process was irregular, claiming members of a federal coin advisory committee raised concerns about the legality of the design and that a video recording of those discussions was later removed from the Mint’s website.
Why Donald Trump Wants His Face on a Coin
The Trump administration has embarked upon a broad push to add the president’s name to cultural landmarks and prominent federal institutions as a part of the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
Newsweek reported in March that the federal arts panel approved designs for a 24‑karat gold commemorative coin featuring Trump’s likeness, paving the way for the U.S. Mint to begin striking the coin ahead of the July 4 semiquincentennial celebrations.
The coin shows Trump wearing a suit and tie, leaning forward with both hands planted on a surface, his expression appearing firm.
The word “LIBERTY” curves along the upper edge of the design, with the dates “1776–2026” positioned beneath it. The phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST” runs along the lower rim, flanked by 13 stars symbolizing the original colonies.
Who Is Judge Karin Immergut?
Judge Karin Immergut is a U.S. District Court judge in Oregon who was appointed to the federal bench by Donald Trump during his first term in office. Before becoming a federal judge in 2019, she served as U.S. Attorney for Oregon and also worked on Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr’s investigation into President Bill Clinton in the 1990s.
Immergut drew national attention after ruling against Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Portland during protests outside an ICE facility. In a series of rulings, she blocked the administration from federalizing and deploying Guard troops, later finding Trump had exceeded his legal authority.
She is now overseeing the lawsuit challenging the planned commemorative gold coin featuring Trump’s likeness ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026.
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