Messages claim the White House or US Government are selling collector coins commemorating the COVID-19 outbreak through their gift shop.
An example of such a claim can be seen below –
OMG The White House is selling coronavirus coins celebrating the COVID-19 outbreak!!
The claims are misleading, since many variants of the claim we have seem online imply or outright state that it is the Trump administration, White House or the US Government that is selling such commemorative coins.
However that is not true. While such coins exist, and are really being sold by The White House Gift Shop online for $100, that particular gift shop isn’t affiliated with the White House or the government, and runs independently of both.
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While the online store describes an affiliation with the White House and the US Secret Service in particular, going back to the 1940’s when the gift shop was founded, such an affiliation no longer exists.
From the White House Gift Shop website –
Located in the White House for Nearly 70 Years, WHGS is Now Privately & Permanently Endowed and Now Operates Independently of the U.S. Government
As such, while such coins exist and are really being sold, many assertions online that the White House or US Government is selling the coins are untrue. As such, we rank this claim misleading.