The Washington herald., 1908-02-03
COINS AND THEIR NOTICES
By FREDERIC J. HASKN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

The developments Of the next few days
are likely TO indicate a restoration Of the
. motto In God We Trust" on the coins
hereafter issued from the United States
mint The President took It of on his
own initiative. and then stated In public
letter that If Congress saw fit to restore
the motto he would inteiDose no Objec-
tion. Congress, apparently, saw fit TO do
so. and Mr. Roosevelt viii probably have
to sign a measure to do that which be
has undone. So strong has the sentiment
against the elimination OF the motto been
that five bills have been introduced IN the
House for its restoration. and it is the
prediction Of those informed on the situa-
ton that it viii be restored without a dis
sentng voice.
In his letter explaining his reasons for
eliminating the motto, President Roosevelt
stated that he had never heard any man
speak reverently Of the presence Of the
motto, There are many others. however,
who have. Ministers and many other
men have often referred 20 the fact. in
speaking Of the United States as Chris
uan nation, saying that even upon the
coin Of the realm have the people,
through their duly constituted representa-
uves, seen 1T 10 acknowledge their trust
in Providence, and have expressed graft
hcation that the nation had taken this
step. The words Of Secretary Chase them
selves ordering the use Of the motto. were
r.F T. .. A.
Director of the Mint in Philadelphia. Mr.
Tehase said: mo nation can be strong ex-
cept IN the strength Of God, or safe ex-
cept in His defense. The trust Of our peo-
pie In God should be declared on our na-
ti0nal coins. You will cause a device to
be prepared without unnecessary delay
with motto expressing IN the fewest and
tersest words possible this national recOK-
milton"
When It came TO an examination Of the
matter it was found that the act Of 1897
, prescribed devices and notices that
should be placed on coins. and that moth
ing could be done without legislation
/ Therefore il was not until 1874 that the
first coins appeared with IN God We
/ Trust" on them. Thus the suggestion,
made by Rev. NJ r. Watkinson. of Rid
/ leyVille Pa, j.. 1861. almost at the
/ beginning Of the great national struggle
/ that shook the very foundations Of the
/ state, bore fruit Just after the crisis Of
the storm was past. and the nation
/ emerged from its dangers prociaiming on
/ the 'lifeblood OF IFS trade" its unwaver-
/ ing confidence in the God Of nations.
/ This letter which resulted in the adoption
( Of the motto. took a most opportune
\ time 70 start the crusade The writer
seeing the greatest internecine war Of
/ history had begun, asked Secretary Chase
/ Wndt II our republic were now shattered
/ beyond reconstruction Would not anti
/ quarlans Of succeeding centuries rightly
/ reason from our past that We were a
I heather nau0n?' So impressed was mir.
Chase with the questions, that the min
I lsteTs letter, written on November J3
brought forth the letter to the Director
I OF the Mint just seven days later The
concluding statement Of his letter 10 Mr.
Chase was. ITO you first I address
subject that must be agitated" The
/ prompt action Of Secretary Chase left
no occasion for agitation.
Although the idea advanced by the
minister was adopted, IL was the germ.
and not the proposition itself, that was.
Ee wrote: What I propose IS that in
stead Of the goddess Of liberty, We shall
! have next inside the thirteen stars a
ring inscribed with the words perpetual
union. within this ring the au-seeing
eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this
eve the American flag. bearing in its
+ field stars equal 10 the number OF States
united. In the folds Of the bars the
I Z IT.
I Of the Mint in 1853 submitted designs TO
! the Secretary OF the Treasury for the
/ new I. ?, and cent pieces. and pro-
/ posed one Of the following notices: our
Country; Our God. God. Our Trust
/ The Secretary Of the Treasury replied by
saying that 'on that with the Washington
( diverse the motto should be Our God
and our Country and on that with the
shield it should be changed so as to read:
In God We Trust"
From this It will be seen that Secretary
Chase was the author Of the motto as #
has appeared on the coins Of the United
States from the close Of the civil war.
The first coin on which It appeared was
the bronze 2-cent piece. II was put there
by the act OF 1854. which set forth that
the device Of the coins authorized under
it were to be fixed by the Director OF the
Mint, with the approval Of the Secretary
of the Treasury. The act OF 1860 was the
first instance OF Congress taking cog
nizanCe Of the motto. In that act il was
stated that Il shall be lawful for the
Director of the Mint, with the approval
Of the Secretary of the Treasury, 70 place
the motto In God We Trust on such
coins as would admit OF the Inscription
thereon. The act Of 1873 provided that
the Secretary of the Treasury may
cause the motto to be inscribed ''on such
coins as shall admit of such motto" 1t
viii be seen from this that while. literally
speaking. Congress had never said that
1t shall be done" IL had said that il
may be done" which IS usually taken
to be about as binding as a President or
Kings invitation IS commanding.
The United States is not the only coun-
try that has recognized the Supreme Be
ing on its coins, France has done so for
many years. For instance, the French
5-frano silver piece bears on the edge the
legend 'DieU pTOtege Ia France" CMay
God protect Franco. Several other ma
tions have inscriptions recognizing the
Deity. But so far as can be ascertaIned,
no other nation, save our own. has seen
nj 70 discontinue such inscriptions after
once using them
The change from the old double eagle
10 the new one brought not only the
elimination OF the motto, but the addi-
ton Of the lettering on the edge. 1t was
once claimed that such lettering rendered
a coin proof from counterfeiting. But
now it is recognized that while this
makes counterfeiting harder to do and