Can a trillion-dollar coin end the US debt-ceiling standoff?

Advocates say such a coin would be one option to bypass the debt ceiling, but others believe the measure would not be legally sound

Picture this: debate over the debt ceiling is in the 11th hour and the US is almost reaching default.

Members of Congress are hurrying around the US Capitol, holding press conferences and getting into arguments. As Republicans and Democrats rail against each other, an unlikely savior appears. A platinum coin is minted as a machine stamps it with “One Trillion Dollars”, which is then given to the US central bank.