Trump presidential challenge coin says ‘Make America Great Again’ instead of national motto
President Trump made some significant changes to the new presidential “challenge coin,” according to a report on Friday.
The most notable change is the replacement of the national motto, “E pluribus unum,” with Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again,” The Washington Post reported.
Trump was reportedly personally involved with designing the coin.
“That’s central to the message,” a White House aide told the Post. “I’m sure there will not be just one coin during his tenure. I’m sure the next one will say ‘Made America Great Again.’ ”
It’s “very gold:”: The presidential coin undergoes a Trumpian makeover https://t.co/bIg649cDya
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 22, 2017
{mosads}
Trump’s nontraditional coin does not include the presidential seal, but instead an image of the White House and an American flag on one side, and an image of an eagle with its head facing right on the other.
The coin is gold, compared to the traditional copper and silver, and thicker than that of presidential predecessors.
Trump’s coin also has a ribbon-shaped banner across the bottom bearing his name, rather than being traditionally round. It is “designed to literally stand on its own,” according to the Post.
The commemorative coins stem from the military tradition of exchanging coins covertly through a handshake. Presidents give them to troops, visitors and other members of the public. The coins have become collector’s items, and are sometimes sold for hundreds of dollars.
Another White House aide told the Post that Trump’s coins may be given to donors and distributed at campaign rallies, breaking another tradition. A Republican National Committee spokeswoman confirmed to the Post that the committee paid for the coins.
“For the commander in chief to give a political token with a campaign slogan on it to military officers would violate the important principle of separating the military from politics, as well as diminishing the tradition of the coin,” Trevor Potter, a Republican former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, told the Post.
Vice President Pence’s coin is similar in color, shape and design to former Vice President Joe Biden’s. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke also has a personalized coin, according to the Post.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.