PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – A federal judge has denied a request from a retired Portland attorney to temporarily block a proposed commemorative gold coin featuring President Donald Trump, ruling the plaintiff has not shown he would personally suffer concrete harm.
James Rickher, a former federal employee and retired lawyer, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Portland after arguing the coin would violate federal law. In a March 2026 interview with KPTV, Rickher pointed to Title 31 of U.S. law, which generally bars portraits of living people from appearing on U.S. currency and securities, and said the issue was “black and white” and “very straight forward.” Federal officials, he told KPTV, contend a subsection of the law gives the Treasury secretary discretion that could allow the coin.
In the latest court action, U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut denied Rickher’s amended motion for a preliminary injunction following briefing, evidence submissions and oral argument on June 3, 2026. The judge wrote that, at this stage, Rickher “has failed to present evidence that clearly shows he will personally suffer concrete harm from issuance of the challenged coin,” calling his asserted injuries too broad to support emergency relief.
The judge emphasized the decision does not determine whether the coin is legal or illegal, and does not resolve the underlying lawsuit. “To be clear, this Court does not reach the merits of Plaintiff’s lawsuit or determine whether the challenged coin is illegal,” Nelson wrote. Instead, the court found Rickher did not meet his burden to clearly show he has standing to seek a preliminary injunction on the record presented.
The order also addresses timing. Rickher had argued harm was imminent because the coin allegedly had a target issuance date of July 4, 2026, tied to the nation’s 250th birthday. But defendants told the court the coin will not be issued on or before July 4 because the Treasury secretary has not yet approved the final design. After that approval, the Mint would need six to eight weeks to begin striking the coin and additional months to produce all 47 coins, the order says. The judge noted Rickher did not contest that timeline, and concluded the coin would be issued—if at all—several months after July 4.
The lawsuit remains pending in federal court.
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