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'In God We Trust' first appears on the US two-cent piece

When
1864
Where
Washington, D.C.; United States Mint
Episodes
2

The motto 'In God We Trust' first appeared on US coinage in 1864 on the two-cent piece. This development followed Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase's selection of the motto in late 1863 and the passage of the Coinage Act of 1864, which authorized bronze coinage to address wartime shortages.

Episodes

  1. 1864 · United States MintFirst Appearance on Two-Cent Piece

    The motto 'In God We Trust' first appeared on the two-cent piece, which went into mass circulation in 1864.

  2. April 22, 1864 · Washington, D.C.Passage of the Coinage Act

    The Coinage Act of 1864 was signed on April 22, authorizing bronze cents and two-cent pieces to address wartime coin shortages.

Background and detail

Background. During the American Civil War, federal coinage vanished from circulation in many areas due to economic turmoil. Mint Director James Pollock noted the need for base metal money for exact payments. In 1863, officials considered bronze coins, leading to urgent requests for new legislation to restore small change circulation.

Legislative Context. Congress passed the Coinage Act of 1864, authorizing bronze cents and two-cent pieces despite opposition from those wishing to keep nickel in the coinage. The Act was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on April 22, 1864, allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to authorize the inclusion of the motto on specific coins.

Motto Selection. Salmon P. Chase chose his favorite designs and presented a proposal to Congress in late 1863. He decided on the final version of the motto, 'In God We Trust,' in December 1863. Some patterns sent to him used 'God Our Trust,' but Chase approved the specific wording for the new coinage.

People involved

Sources

  1. In God We Trust Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-30
  2. Two-cent piece (United States) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-05-08

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.