El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-09-25
Origin of the Coin Legend.

"A w ulSpdLCu W Liz NSN
York Evening Post says:
"a good many questions are receiv-
ed at the treasury" said Director
Preston, Of the mint, recently, ''in re-
gard to the origin of the legend. In
God We Trust, which appears on near
ly all of our coins So far as the de-
partment records show, the first sug-
gest. on for the recognition of the deity
on the coins of the United States was
made by M. r. Watkinson, of Ridley
Vile, Pa, who signed himself Minis
ter of the Gospel in q letter dated
Nov. ID, 1861. He wrote to Secretary
Chss somewhat as follows: You are
probs bly a Christi IN. What if our re-
public were now shattered beyond re-
const uctiOn? Would not the anti
| quaries of succeeding centuries rightly
reason from our past that we were a
heather nation? What I propose is
that instead of the go dess of liberty
we shall have next inside the thirteen
stars a ring inscribed with the words,
perpetual union;' within this ring the
all-seeing eye crowned with a h 40; be-
meath this eye the American flag, bear
ing in it's field stars equal to the num-
Der of the states united; in the folds of
The bars the words God, liberty, law
This would make q beautiful coin, to
which no possible citize n could object.
This would relieve US from the ignomi-
nv of heat henism. This would place
US openly under the divine prOtec ion
we have personally claimed. From
my heart l have felt our national
shame in discerning God as not the
least of our present national disasters.
To you first, | address subject that
must be az tatf d.
whether moved by his letter or not,
it is impossible to say, but It is fact
that on the Doth of November, just a
week later, Mr.. Chase sent a letter to
the director of the mint of Philadelphia
n which he said: No nation can be
strong except in the strength of God,
II safe except in his defense. The
trust of people in God should be de-
clared on our national coins. You
will cause device to be prepared
without unnecessary delay VITA
motto expressing in the fewest and
tersest words possible this national
recogpi tion.' 1t was found, however,
tn at it did not rest within he province |
Of the dire ctor of the mint to attach a !
new motto to the natjonal coins Con |
lress, by law passed in 1887, had
prescribed W at notices and devices |
&c ight be placed upon the coins of the
Unted States. The director of the
mint, accordipgly got up his design for
submission to the secretary, and |
trough him to congress. The mot |
t e5 repaired were these, Our Cour- |
try, Our God,' and God, Oar Trust.
These did not wholly suit Secretary |
Chase, who CONNIE nted upon them as
follows in a letter to the director of |
The mint: ! approve your mottoes:
only suggesting that the first |
should begin with "Our Cod" so as to
read Our God and Our Country and |
that the motto on the shield should |
be changed SO as to read ipStead Of |
God. Our Trust" sin God We
Trust"
IAN act was passed April %, 1864, !
changin the composition of the QUE
cent piece and authorizing the coinage |
of the twO-cent piece, the devices OF |
which were 10 be fixed by the director
OF The mint, with the approval of the
secretary of the treasury; and 1t is up Dn
the twO-cent bronze piece that the % Of
to In God We Trust first appeared.
By an at of March 3. 1865, it was pro-
vid d that in addition to the legend |
a d device on TIE gold and silver coins
of the United States it should be lawful |
for the direc of the mint, with the |
of the secretary of the treas
ury, to place the motto In God We
Trust on such coins as shall admit of
the inscription thereon. Under this
act the mo. to was pl Aced upon the $40,
$40 and So gold pieces, and in the lat 'er
part of 1865 upOn the 50-cenJ and %
cent silver pieces The dime does not
now contain the legend. By the coir-
age act of 1873, it was provided that
this motto should be inscribed on such |
coins as admit of it, That is the exist
ing law. The English sovereign con-
tains the words Del Gratia, of like |
import"