Charlie Kirk’s Image Could Be Printed on New U.S. Currency
Two Republican lawmakers told Fox News Digital they plan to introduce legislation to honor late conservative activist Charlie Kirk by printing his image and name on nearly half a million new silver dollar coins.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Treasury for comment via email on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during a question-and-answer session at Utah Valley University on September 10 during his “American Comeback Tour.” A suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is in custody, charged with aggravated murder and other offenses.
News and videos of Kirk’s assassination swept quickly through the country, with people immediately mourning his death and leaders and prominent figures across the political spectrum condemning the violence. Most of the Trump cabinet attended Kirk’s memorial in Arizona last weekend, with Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump both speaking onstage.
Prominent historical figures, such as the Founding Fathers and past presidents, appear on various denominations of United States currency, and a select number of commemorative coins have been issued over the years. An 1866 law bars a living person from being featured on U.S. currency.
What To Know
The bill calls on the U.S. Treasury to print 400,000 silver dollar coins with Kirk’s face on them, Republican Representatives August Pfluger of Texas and Abraham Hamadeh of Arizona told Fox News. In addition to Kirk’s image, the coins would include the message, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” They would be minted with the year 2026 and his full name on them, according to Fox News Digital.
Pfluger, who is the chair of the Republican Study Committee, has expressed his support for Kirk and the desire to honor his legacy. He described Kirk as a “conservative titan” in an email statement to Newsweek, saying that Kirk “deserves permanent recognition alongside our nation’s greatest leaders and influential figures,” while Hamadeh called him a “national treasure.”
Pfluger said that “this commemorative coin will make Charlie the youngest American ever immortalized on legal U.S. currency, a fitting honor that cements his extraordinary legacy alongside presidents and founding fathers who shaped our republic.”
Charlie Kirk speaks at a rally at Arizona Christian University on July 31, 2024. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Hamadeh said that Kirk’s “life must be commemorated, and this coin will allow us to pass a reminder of his remarkable life on to generations to come.” The legislation, if passed, would make Kirk the only living person featured on U.S. currency, as that is barred per a centuries-old law.
The proposal comes amid a larger slew of bills related to Kirk since his death, including an Oklahoma State Senate bill requiring all state colleges to start and protect statues honoring Kirk, as well as a national legislative push to commemorate Kirk’s birthday as a national day of remembrance.
What People Are Saying
Senator Rick Scott told the U.S. Senate: “As we mourn this massive loss, let us gather together in our communities and pray for his family and our nation. And let us honor Charlie by believing in the power of our ideas to win the day and leave the nation a better place. I am proud to have the support of more than 20 of my colleagues to honor Charlie by dedicating his birthday, October 14, 2025, as “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.”
The New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran said in a statement shared with Newsweek: “Charlie Kirk knew that universities are ground zero for free speech and the marketplace of ideas. These ideas are not luxuries, but the foundation of a free republic. His life and tragic death remind us all that a nation cannot survive if it abandons these rights. At New College, we will not step back from this responsibility—we will champion it and seek to be known as the number one college in the nation when it comes to supporting civil debate and freedom of speech.”
What Happens Next
Once proposed, the currency bill will move through the usual legislative process.
