In a departure from a 165-year tradition, the U.S. Treasury has announced that the signature of President Donald Trump will soon appear on all new paper currency, starting with the $100 bill this summer. While the administration frames this as a tribute to the nation’s 250th anniversary, we must consider the deeper implications of such a change. Historically, our money has carried the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the Treasurer—offices of public trust, rather than the singular person of the President.

Symbols matter. A currency that bears the name of a sitting leader feels less like the common property of a Republic and more like a private brand. In an age where cash use is already fading, replacing the steady hand of institutional tradition with a personal signature risks further detaching our money from its historic roots. As we prepare for our national milestone, we should be looking for ways to bind the nation together through our shared institutions, not through the elevation of a single individual above the symbols of our common life.