An advisory commission appointed by President Donald Trump has approved a controversial design for a commemorative gold coin bearing his image, intended to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

The coin, cleared by the United States Commission of Fine Arts, features a striking portrait of Trump on one side. In the approved design, he is depicted standing behind a desk, fists clenched, with a stern expression that supporters say conveys resolve and critics see as overtly political. The reverse side shows an eagle with wings spread, perched on what appears to be a stylized Liberty Bell, tying the piece to the nation’s revolutionary origins.

Officials say the coin will be produced as a collector’s item rather than legal tender. It will carry no face value, and its eventual sale price has not been disclosed. However, comparable commemorative gold coins issued by the US Mint have often been priced at more than $1,000, depending on weight and gold content.

US Treasurer Brandon Beach defended the decision, casting the project as a patriotic tribute. “We are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving president,” he said in a statement. Beach added that the design will differ from Trump’s likeness planned for two other pieces: a circulating $1 coin and a separate one-ounce gold issue.

The Commission of Fine Arts, which reviews designs for federal monuments, medals and currency, declined public comment after images of the proposed coin began circulating in the media. The silence has done little to quell criticism from Democrats and some numismatic experts, who argue that placing a sitting president on a commemorative coin breaks with modern democratic norms.

Another federal advisory body, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, had earlier refused even to place the Trump anniversary coin on its agenda. Member Donald Scarinci warned that, since the Declaration of Independence, no democracy has routinely put a serving elected leader on its coinage. “Only those nations ruled by kings or dictators display the image of their sitting ruler on the coins of the realm,” he said.

The dispute unfolds against a broader backdrop of Trump’s efforts to reshape Washington’s symbolic landscape, including his wholesale replacement of the Fine Arts Commission’s members and his push for high-profile building and renovation projects bearing his imprint.