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The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced this Thursday that it will print President Donald Trump's signature on all new banknotes, making him the first sitting president in the country's history to have his signature on circulating currency.
According to Associated Press, the new bills will feature Trump's signature alongside that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The first affected note will be the 100-dollar bill, which will begin printing with the new signatures in June 2026, followed by other denominations in the following months.
The announcement coincides with the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, which the Trump administration has used as a framework for various symbolic initiatives.
Bessent justified the decision with a strong statement: "There is no more powerful way to acknowledge the historical achievements of our great country," referring directly to including Trump's name on the currency.
The measure breaks with a 165-year tradition. Since 1861, federal bills have featured the signature of the Treasurer of the United States alongside that of the Secretary of the Treasury.
With this change, the Treasurer's signature disappears for the first time since that date, consolidating both signatures under the president and the Secretary of the Treasury.
It is worth noting that Bessent has been involved in other controversial decisions during his tenure at the Treasury.
The tradition of including signatures on U.S. currency dates back to 1862, when Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase authorized the first designs with engraved signatures as a counterfeiting measure.
Since the introduction of the modern bill format in 1929, a total of 48 officials have signed the currency: 29 secretaries of the Treasury, 19 treasurers, and one registrar of the Treasury. Never before had a sitting president been part of that list.
Currently, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing continues to issue banknotes bearing the signatures of former Secretary Janet Yellen and former Treasurer Lynn Malerba, the first Native American to hold that position.
Malerba signed the 2021 Series bills alongside Yellen, marking a historic milestone as the first two women to simultaneously sign U.S. currency.
The printing of the first $100 bills bearing Trump's signature is scheduled for June 2026, with the remaining denominations to follow in the subsequent months, right as the country celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence.
The impact of these changes could also be reflected in the behavior of the dollar against other currencies in international markets.
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