When did In God We Trust first appear on US Coinage?

19Lyds

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robec

1864

rgCoinGuy

The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, and read:

Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances.
One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.

You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.

This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.

To you first I address a subject that must be agitated.

As a result, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861:
Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.
You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition.

It was found that the Act of Congress dated January 18, 1837, prescribed the mottoes and devices that should be placed upon the coins of the United States. This meant that the mint could make no changes without the enactment of additional legislation by the Congress. In December 1863, the Director of the Mint submitted designs for new one-cent coin, two-cent coin, and three-cent coin to Secretary Chase for approval. He proposed that upon the designs either OUR COUNTRY; OUR GOD or GOD, OUR TRUST should appear as a motto on the coins. In a letter to the Mint Director on December 9, 1863, Secretary Chase stated:
I approve your mottoes, only suggesting that on that with the Washington obverse the motto should begin with the word OUR, so as to read OUR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY. And on that with the shield, it should be changed so as to read: IN GOD WE TRUST.
The Congress passed the Act of April 22, 1864. This legislation changed the composition of the one-cent coin and authorized the minting of the two-cent coin. The Mint Director was directed to develop the designs for these coins for final approval of the Secretary.

IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin.

Edited to credit the US Treasury Fact Sheet.

doh

Yep, 1864 Two Cent piece. It's a great coin!

19Lyds

<< <i>1864 >>



Was this in the Two Cent piece and was that the only coin?

LeeG

In God We Trust

19Lyds

So, it appears only on the Two Cent piece? The Indian Head Cent does not have it for 1864 or 1865 and the Three Cent piece, both nickel and silver is devoid of it for any of its years.

Correct??

19Lyds

Thank You !

kranky

A related first - the first time on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" that a contestant got to the $1 million question, it was which denomination was the first to carry the motto In God We Trust. The contestant decided to pass and took home $500K.

RWB

For those who would like an updated, corrected and expanded version of the “In God We Trust” story, go to Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-198, Chapter 6 “In God We Trust for the Other Fifty Cents.”

PS: Reverend Mark Richards Watkinson was a “supply minister” of the First Particular Baptist Church in Ridley, Pennsylvania, not “Ridleyville.”

Raybo

abitofthisabitofthat

Also of note, a cool 1863 2 cent pattern with "God our Trust". J312 and others.

crypto79

It went to the rest of the coinage in 1866, and coinage of that year without the motto is pretty rare. It is often misstated that our founding fathers put "god" on our monetary system but it isn't the case.

Broadstruck

Here's a "God Our Trust" 1863 Pattern

lcoopie

here's a large motto version for comparison to
the rarer small motto that Raybo has already posted

Frankcoins

<< <i>It went to the rest of the coinage in 1866, and coinage of that year without the motto is pretty rare. It is often misstated that our founding fathers put "god" on our monetary system but it isn't the case. >>



It was not on ALL of the rest of the coinage until 1938!