Public Comment

Donald Trump has recently been seen hawking a line of $99 "Never Surrender" gold-trimmed sneakers and announcing a politicized $59.99 "God Bless the USA" edition of the Bible containing copies of the US Constitution and the Pledge of Allegiance. And now, Trump's brand is starting to appear on US dollars. The two-dollar bill, actually. (Historical background: The $2 bill was retired in 1966 but staged a comeback in 1976 as a Federal Reserve Note.)

There is good reason to associate this little green bill with the Ochre Ogre. As Wikipedia notes: trying to make a purchase with one of these bills "sometimes made problems … when [citizens] encounter merchants who question the bills' validity." Meanwhile, "significant numbers of the notes are removed from circulation and collected by people who believe them to be … more valuable than they are.")

I don't know how I got of the mailing list but an unexpected announcement just arrived in my PO box—an envelope from the Bradford Exchange Mint displaying the Presidential seal and the words "TRUMP 2024 Exclusive." Inside was an invitation to purchase an "Exclusive Salute to President Trump on a Legal Tender $2 Bill" issued to coincide Trump's re-election bid and "his commitment to nationalist ideals."

The commemorative Trump bill is a real $2 bill that has been "privately enhanced with vividly colored montage imagery and gleaming golden enhancements"—or, as some may see it, tacky full-color stickers heat-pressed on top of an actual two-dollar bill, 

The new politicized bill features not one but two full-color photos of Trump campaigning on either side of Thomas Jefferson's portrait. (Jefferson looks a bit wary as Trump looms on either side while a central banner above Jefferson's portrait reads: "Donald Trump 2024.") 

The sales pitch repeatedly ties the release of this "privately enhanced currency" to Trump's presidential campaign and salutes his "ardent fan base following his every order" as he promises to "reshape the country along Christian nationalist lines." 

And what's the fee for acquiring one of these "once-in-a-lifetime commemoratives… sealed within a crystal-clear holder for enduring, heirloom protection"? The going price (mentioned only once at the very end of a two-page solicitation) is a mere $39.99 plus $6.99 for "shipping and service." 

"Supplies are very limited," writes Bradford's Chief Numismatist, Walter J. Kole, but don't worry because there are "additional issues to come in The Donald J. Trump 2024 $2 Bill Collection." 

How much of each $46.98 purchase might wind up in Trump's campaign wallet is unknown. There is a closing line at the bottom of the two-page solicitation letter that declares (in small, barely legible type): "The presentation of this collectible for sale does not indicate an endorsement of any political candidate or opinion by The Bradford Exchange or its officials." Note: This disclaimer follows a cover letter that cites Trump's name 18 times.