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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Drusus, post: 170495, member: 6370&quot;]In god we trust was not made the US motto until this century (50&#039;s) and was not on our coins until some religious people petitioned to put god on our money around the civil war...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;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. It was found that the Act of Congress dated <a href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/01-jan.shtml#18" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/01-jan.shtml#18" rel="nofollow">January 18</a>, 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.</p><p>Another Act of Congress passed on <a href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/03-mar.shtml#3" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/03-mar.shtml#3" rel="nofollow">March 3</a>, 1865. It allowed the Mint Director, with the Secretary&#039;s approval, to place the motto on all gold and silver coins that &quot;shall admit the inscription thereon.&quot; Under the Act, the motto was placed on the gold double-eagle coin, the gold eagle coin, and the gold half-eagle coin. It was also placed on the silver dollar coin, the half-dollar coin and the quarter-dollar coin, and on the nickel three-cent coin beginning in 1866. Later, Congress passed the Coinage Act of <a href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/02-feb.shtml#12" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/02-feb.shtml#12" rel="nofollow">February 12</a>, 1873. It also said that the Secretary &quot;may cause the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to be inscribed on such coins as shall admit of such motto.&quot;</p><p>The use of IN GOD WE TRUST has not been uninterrupted. The motto disappeared from the five-cent coin in 1883, and did not reappear until production of the Jefferson nickel began in 1938. Since 1938, all United States coins bear the inscription. Later, the motto was found missing from the new design of the double-eagle gold coin and the eagle gold coin shortly after they appeared in 1907. In response to a general demand, Congress ordered it restored, and the Act of <a href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/05-may.shtml#18" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/05-may.shtml#18" rel="nofollow">May 18</a>, 1908, made it mandatory on all coins upon which it had previously appeared. IN GOD WE TRUST was not mandatory on the one-cent coin and five-cent coin. It could be placed on them by the Secretary or the Mint Director with the Secretary&#039;s approval.</p><p>The motto has been in continuous use on the one-cent coin since 1909, and on the ten-cent coin since 1916. It also has appeared on all gold coins and silver dollar coins, half-dollar coins, and quarter-dollar coins struck since <a href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/07-jul.shtml#1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/07-jul.shtml#1" rel="nofollow">July 1</a>, 1908.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>law passed by the 84th Congress (P.L. 84-140) and approved by the President on <a href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/07-jul.shtml#30" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.treas.gov/education/history/events/07-jul.shtml#30" rel="nofollow">July 30</a>, 1956, the President approved a Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress, declaring IN GOD WE TRUST the national motto of the United States. &quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>--From US treasury fact sheet.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Now &#039;E Pluribus Unum&#039; WAS our official motto and certainly, IMO, if our money has a tradition it would be the word and the concept &#039;Liberty&#039;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I prefer &#039;E Pluribus Unum&#039; as a national motto...just has class and a sound concept of unity....also I like the concept of &#039;Liberty&#039; on our coins because if the US stands for anything it would be freedoms and liberty....</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>To me &#039;In God We Trust&#039; was a more recent addition that was put on at the pressure of a religious contingent a bit later in our history and agreed by elected officials wanting to appeal to those who were pressuring them and doesnt represent a concept that IMO the US truely stands united on...but then again I am not one of those who cares if it is there or feels it needs to be removed...I dont care...but I would care if they removed Liberty....[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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