When Was In God We Trust Added to Money?
The history of “In God We Trust” on American currency has gotten complicated with all the legal challenges, political debates, and historical misconceptions flying around. As someone who has researched this topic extensively for numismatic presentations, I learned everything there is to know about how this motto reached our coins and bills. Today, I will share it all with you.
Civil War Origins
Probably should have led with this section, honestly—the phrase first appeared in 1864, driven by religious sentiment during the Civil War. Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase received letters urging recognition of God on national coinage, and he agreed.
The two-cent piece became the first U.S. coin to carry the motto. From there, it spread to other denominations, though not consistently.
Expansion on Coins
The Coinage Act of 1873 allowed (but didn’t require) the motto on various coins. It appeared and disappeared based on design changes and the preferences of different Mint directors. Theodore Roosevelt famously opposed the motto on the 1907 Saint-Gaudens gold coins, considering it sacrilege to use God’s name on commerce—though Congress overruled him.
Paper Currency Addition
That’s what makes the Cold War era significant for us collectors—the push to add “In God We Trust” to paper money came from anti-Communist sentiment in the 1950s. Congress mandated the motto on all currency in 1955, and President Eisenhower signed it into law on July 30, 1956.
The first paper bills with the motto appeared in 1957, starting with $1 silver certificates.
National Motto Status
That same day in 1956, “In God We Trust” officially became the national motto, replacing the de facto “E Pluribus Unum” that had appeared on coins since 1782.
Legal Challenges
Various lawsuits have argued the motto violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. Courts have consistently ruled it constitutional, characterizing it as “ceremonial deism” rather than religious endorsement. The Ninth Circuit in Aronow v. United States (1970) found it carries “patriotic or ceremonial character” without theological significance.
Today
Every U.S. coin and bill currently in production carries the motto. Whether you view it as religious expression or historical tradition, it remains embedded in American numismatic heritage.
