When was the motto “In God We Trust” placed on U.S. coinage?
The motto “In God We Trust” was first placed on U.S. coinage in 1864. During the Civil War, an era of high religious sentiment, many U.S. citizens desired that the nation’s currency suitably recognize the Deity, as other countries around the world had already done. At the urging of then Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, U.S. one-and two-cent coins were struck bearing the motto in 1864. The “Coinage Act of 1873” declared that “In God We Trust” could be placed on other U.S. coinage.
