The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-08-26
Government Restores Time
HOnored Motto to Coins
Of Small Value
FIRST CHANGE IN MANY YEARS
Lincoln Cent Regarded by Artists as
One of the Most Artistic Coins
Ever Issued by the United States
Government,

The new Lincoln cent shows more
innovations than any other United
States coin that has appeared in re-
cent years in both design and i1scZip-
ton, says the New York Sun, and yet
some of its features are only revivals
of details used on coins when the
country was in its infancy.
In adding the motto "E Pluribus
Unum" to the Lincoln cent time
honored device is once more restored
to American copper coins. The cop
per cents of several of the states of the
Confederation bore this motto: in fact
they were the first coins to show it.
Among the states were New York and
New Jersey, the motto first appearing
on the cent of the latter state in 1856
and in New York in 1857.
Then too, the word elderly" has
come back to it's old place on the OBJ
verse of the new cent. This word was
q favorite with the old engravers Of
cents and The only inscription borne
by the diverse Of the cents first issued
in 1898 and up to 1903. Then a
change in design was made and the
word was taken from the border of the
coin and placed on the diadem of
Liberty, where it remained until 1867
when the white metal flying eagle cent
took the place of the familiar head of
Liberty. 1t was revived on the Indian
head cent, but placed in minute letters
on the band of the headdress Of
feathers
The Lincoln cent is the first coin of
the denomination to Dear the motto
Tin God We Trust" This motto is
no stranger, however, upon copper coins
as the copper-niclteI 2-cent piece issued
from 1864 to 1873 was the first of all
the United States coins to bear it.
The dime, half dime, silver Scent piece
and nickel Scent piece have never
borne the motto.
The old scent nickel piece with a
shield on the diverse bore the motto,
and when a change in design was con-
templated in 1882, the designers placed
the motto over the head of Liberty,
which was like that on the nickel now
in use The motto was discarded
when the now design was adopted in
1883 and was replaced by a circle of
thirteen stars.
On one of the reverse designs made
at the mint in 1882 the field bore a
large Roman numeral 'FV," surround
ed by wreath, and at the top was
the motto Gin God We Trust" in very
small letters. This design also met
with disapproval, and when the new
nickel was adopted it was found that
the motto had been altogether aban-
doned, its place being taken by "E
Pluribus Unum
Another return to the form of old
days was the placing of the title
"United States of America" on the
reverse Of the cent instead of the OBJ
verse, where it had been for so many
years. All the large copper cents
showed the title ON the reverse. 1t
was transferred to the diverse when
the Indian head was adopted in 1858.
The cent has not seen many changes
of design when one considers that it
has appeared more regularly than any
other United States coin, having made
its appearance each year from 1898,
the first year of the issue, up to the
present time, with the single exception
of the year 1915.
The first design showed a head of
Liberty facing to the right with loose
ly flowing hair, the word ''Libertv''
in large letters above and the date
below. On the reverse was the in
scription ''United States ybf America =
and in the center the words cone
Cent" surrounded by a circle of thir-
teen links. This chain design did not
meet with favor, and in the same wear
the wreath design was adopted in its
place, which in general style was con
tinued until the old fashioned large
cent was discontinued in 1857. An
other form Of the wreath was used on
the white metal cent of 1857, and the
inscription "United States of Ameri-
ca" was placed around the represen-
tation Of the flying eagle on the OBJ
verse.
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