House Republicans plan to introduce legislation directing the U.S. Treasury to mint 400,000 commemorative silver dollar coins bearing the likeness of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and a six-word inscription reading “well done, good and faithful servant,” according to sponsors and media reports. The limited-edition coins would be dated 2026, inscribed with Kirk’s full name, and issued as legal tender if the bill is enacted. The final design would be selected by the Treasury Secretary in consultation with the sitting president.
The proposal, to be filed by Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, and Rep. Abe Hamadeh of Arizona, follows Kirk’s killing during a campus event in Utah on September 10. The lawmakers told Fox News Digital they will seek Treasury authorization for the 400,000-coin run; Newsweek reported the plan and said the inscription and 2026 date are part of the draft parameters.
Pfluger called Kirk “a conservative titan” and said the commemorative coin “will make Charlie the youngest American ever immortalized on legal U.S. currency,” framing the initiative as a formal, national recognition of the 31-year-old’s influence. Hamadeh described Kirk as an “American treasure,” adding, “Since 1892, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to celebrate and honor historic American patriots.” Both lawmakers said the program would ensure Kirk’s life “is commemorated” for “generations to come.”
If enacted, the measure would join a long-running U.S. commemorative coin tradition in which Congress creates time-limited programs to honor people, places and events. Under that framework, the U.S. Mint produces coins in specified compositions and mintages, and although the coins are legal tender, they are not intended for general circulation. Congressional Research Service guidance notes that these programs are typically financed through the Mint’s Public Enterprise Fund rather than direct appropriations, and may include surcharges designated for recipient organizations after program costs are recovered.
Details described by the sponsors include placing the six-word inscription “well done, good and faithful servant” on one face of the coin. Media outlets reporting on the plan identified the message and said the bill language calls for Kirk’s full name, “Charles James Kirk,” the year 2026, and the full name and motto of the United States to be engraved. Fox News reported that, under the sponsors’ concept, the Treasury Secretary would consult the president—now Donald Trump—on the final design.
The six-word inscription is widely quoted in coverage of the draft measure; sponsors have not released full legislative text. The bill would need to pass both chambers of Congress before any minting could occur. Newsweek reported the sponsors’ plan on Wednesday and said they had briefed Fox News on key elements; the Houston Chronicle carried Pfluger’s public statement of support and a summary of how comparable programs have recently been structured.
Kirk, founder of the youth-focused advocacy group Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. Prosecutors in Utah have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder and other offenses; authorities said they will seek the death penalty. Robinson made an initial court appearance by video, and a Utah judge later appointed veteran defense attorney Kathryn Nester to represent him. State and county officials have said they anticipate significant costs for the capital case.
Court filings made public in Utah outline the case against Robinson, including a victim-targeting enhancement allegation tied to political expression. In remarks and filings, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said the shooting constituted an “American tragedy” and confirmed his office’s intent to pursue capital punishment if Robinson is convicted. PBS and other outlets reported authorities’ assertion that DNA evidence was recovered from the rifle used in the killing. Robinson remains in custody without bail.
Kirk’s death has prompted a wave of tributes and legislative activity among Republican officeholders at the state and federal levels. In Oklahoma, lawmakers proposed requiring all public universities to establish a memorial plaza with a statue of Kirk and language describing him as a “modern civil rights leader,” a move that drew sharp criticism from civil rights figures and campus groups. Separately in Washington, lawmakers advanced resolutions condemning political violence and honoring Kirk’s life.
The commemorative-coin bill would follow a model used in recent years for programs such as the 2024 Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin series, which authorized $5 gold, $1 silver and half-dollar clad coins to mark Tubman’s bicentennial. Those coins, like other modern commemoratives, were sold through the Mint for a limited period and carried surcharges designated by law. Mint materials emphasize that Congress may authorize up to two such programs in a calendar year and that each program’s enabling statute specifies denominations, mintages, inscriptions and any surcharge distributions.
Sponsors of the Kirk bill have characterized the measure as consistent with that history, citing the congressional practice of issuing commemorative coins to memorialize individuals who, in their view, had a transformative public impact. “He tirelessly sacrificed his time, energy, and money to save this nation for future generations,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital, adding that “this coin will allow us to pass a reminder of his remarkable life on to generations to come.” Pfluger said placing Kirk on a legal-tender coin would “cement” his legacy alongside presidents and founding fathers.
U.S. currency law has long restricted the depiction of living persons, a rule that became statute in 1866 and is occasionally cited in modern proposals to add or redesign portraits. That restriction does not apply in Kirk’s case. Fox News’ account of the pending bill also noted that a range of historical figures beyond presidents have appeared on coins, including Sacagawea and former Chief Justice John Marshall, underscoring the breadth of individuals who have been honored through past commemoratives and dollar-coin series.
Should Congress advance the measure, the Mint’s standard process would follow: the Secretary of the Treasury would oversee design selection within the parameters of the statute, and the Mint would handle production and sales through its catalog. According to the Congressional Research Service, the Mint must recover all program costs before any authorized surcharge can be disbursed to a designated recipient. The CRS also notes that while commemoratives carry legal-tender status, they are marketed to collectors and typically do not enter day-to-day commerce.
Coverage of the draft legislation has emphasized the proposed inscription, the limited mintage and the projected timetable. Hindustan Times summarized the elements as reported by U.S. outlets, including the six-word message and the requirement to engrave the United States’ name and motto; Fox News said the White House would be consulted on the final design. Newsweek reported the sponsors’ goal of moving the bill through the usual committee and floor processes. No official bill text had been posted on congressional websites as of Thursday.
As with other commemorative initiatives, the outcome will depend on congressional appetite for adding another program to the Mint’s calendar and on whether lawmakers choose to attach any surcharge beneficiaries or additional requirements to the bill. The Mint’s reference materials describe how Congress limits the number of commemorative programs in any given year and sets technical specifications and inscriptions by statute. The sponsors have not announced a beneficiary organization or a sales window, and they have not detailed whether proofs, uncirculated versions or special sets would be authorized.
Kirk’s killing remains the subject of a pending capital case in Utah. Prosecutors have said in court that the suspect left writings about his intentions and sent messages before and after the shooting; they allege he fired from a nearby rooftop during an outdoor appearance of Kirk’s speaking tour. Robinson has not entered pleas to the charges, and his defense team has not publicly outlined a strategy. Court calendars show further hearings scheduled in the coming days as the state pursues a death-penalty certification process.
In the Capitol, Pfluger and Hamadeh have cast their currency proposal as part of a broader effort to formalize tributes to Kirk at the federal level following memorial events attended by senior officials. The sponsors argue that the coin would create a tangible artifact of remembrance at a scale typically reserved for figures who shaped national institutions. Whether their colleagues agree will be decided in committee rooms and floor votes; for now, the only concrete details are the proposed mintage, the planned inscription and the path of a bill that—if it passes—would add Kirk’s image to a roster of Americans commemorated in precious metal, and place a six-word epitaph on a U.S. coin.