April 22: Coinage Act of 1864
Prayer Idea
Pray that Americans would demonstrate trust in God through their words and actions.
History Note
Though every U.S. state constitution has a reference to God (or to a Supreme Being), the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly acknowledge God. In the early decades of the United States, some people argued that the country should amend the Constitution to include a reference to God.
During the Civil War, some people suggested that the U.S. government should put a reference to God on coins. Salmon Chase was the Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln. He came up with plan to put the phrase “In God We Trust” on a coin. Congress approved the Coinage Act of 1864, which gave the director of the U.S. Mint and the Secretary of the Treasury authority to make such a coin if they wished. The U.S. Mint produced the first two-cent coin with “In God We Trust” later that year.
1865 Two-Cent Coin. Photo by Brandon Grossardt.
The phrase was added to other coins in coming decades. President Theodore Roosevelt authorized some new coins that did not include the phrase “In God We Trust”. He explained his reasoning in a 1907 letter to a minister:
My own feeling in the matter is due to my very firm conviction that to put such a motto on coins, or to use it in any kindred manner, not only does no good but does positive harm, and is in effect irreverence which comes dangerously close to sacrilege. A beautiful and solemn sentence such as the one in question should be treated and uttered only with that fine reverence which necessarily implies a certain exaltation of spirit. [*]
After these new coins were produced, Congress passed another law in 1908 requiring the motto “In God We Trust” to be on all gold and silver coins of the United States where it had been used before.
In 1955 Congress passed a law requiring the use of “In God We Trust” on all American currency (coins and bills). The next year, Congress made “In God We Trust” the official motto of the nation.
Learn More
This video talks about making “In God We Trust” more than just a phrase on our currency.
Explore more resources at Homeschool History.
