MOTTO QUIZ ANSWER Público Deposited
The E-Sylum: Volume 7, Number 26, June 28, 2004, Article 12
MOTTO QUIZ ANSWER
Last week we asked who was the person who first suggested
the slogan, "In God We Trust" for U.S. coinage. The bonus
question was, "in what publication was this fact first
documented?"So far, there has been no response to the bonus question.
As for the main question, Ray Williams writes: "The answer to
your question is a minister from Pennsylvania, M. R.
Watkinson on November 13, 1861. Those were truly troubled
times in our history!"David Ganz writes: "From the records of the Treasury
Department, it appears that the first suggestion of the
recognition of the Deity on the coins of the United States was
contained in a letter addressed to the Secretary of the
Treasury, Hon. Salmon P. Chase, by the Rev. M. R.
Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel, Ridleyville, Pa., under
date of November 13, 1861."One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously
overlooked, I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in
some form in our coins," Rev. Watkinson wrote to Secretary
Chase. "You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic
were now shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the
antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our
past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that
instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the
13 stars a ring inscribed with the words "perpetual union";
within this ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath
this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the
number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words
"God, liberty, law." This would make a beautiful coin, to
which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us
from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us
openly under the Divine protection we have personally
claimed. "From my heart I have felt our national shame in
disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.
To you first I address a subject that must be agitated," he
concluded.A week later, on November 20, 1861, Secretary Chase wrote
to James Pollock, the Director of the Mint, "No nation can be
strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His
defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared
on our national coins."He concluded with a mandate: "You will cause a device to be
prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing
in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition."[For more information, see my own web site: ingodwetrust.html
-Editor]Gene Hessler writes: "Regarding the use of "In God We Trust"
on coins, readers might be interested in an article I wrote for
PAPER MONEY in 1978: Precursors of the Motto "In God
We Trust." "God and our Right," and "In God is our Trust"
were used on some interest-bearing treasury notes and
compound interest treasury notes during the Civil War.
Although not authorized for use on paper money until 1957,
"In God We Trust" appears on the back of the $5 silver
certificate, Series 1986. The reverse of the Morgan silver
dollar is part of the design with "In God We Trust" clearly
visible."- 2004-06-28
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