Show COINAGE COURAGE The History of Inscriptions on United States Money NewYork New York Times Said a coin collector whose fad is early American coins I am reminded by the recent publication in the Times Magazine of the mystery of the 1804 dollar of many curious facts about an early coinage which hien are very little I known outside of numismatic circles I IFor For instance how many know that the words E Pluribus Unum which have appeared on various United States coins and are on the standard silver dollar and the nickel piece of today were never authorized by law to be so placed Very few and yet no doubt as many know it as Know that the later tater motto In God We Trust which appears on all aU the minor United States coins was likewise originally stamped on them without authority from the government The motto E B Pluribus Unum first appeared on an American coin In 1786 There was no United States mint then and in fact no United States the con constitution constitution forming the Union not having as yet been adopted There was a private private private vate mint at New Newburg burg N Y and E EPlUribus PlUribus Unum wag wa first placed on a copper coin struck at that mint int Very few collections have ha e specimens S of this coin It is very valuable I In 1787 a New York goldsmith coined a piece of money which was known as the 16 gold piece and upon it the motto was stamped in this form Unum E Pluribus Only four of these coins are arc to be in existence They are valued at more than 2000 each New rew Jersey Issued various cop copper copper copper per coins In 1787 with the motto stamped upon them A great many of our early earb coins before there was any legal authority for national coinage were made in England Most of these were copper and were coined for dif different different different ferent states and all bore the words E Pluribus Unum The United States mint was vas established established In 1792 but the use of the na national national national motto on any of or the gold silver or copper coins was not authorized or directed by any of the provisions of the act establishing it The motto re remained remained on our early gold and silver slIver coins until 1834 when it was omitted from the gold coins In 1836 it was wan omitted from the pieces and in 1837 from all sliver silver coins It was not stamped on any coin com again until It appeared en cn the nickel and the stand standard standard standard ard slIver silver dollar The words In God We Trust were first placed on the piece which came Into our subsidiary coinage in 1886 but Is now no longer part it The motto was placed there by direction direction tion of James Tames Pollock then director of the tile United States mint at Philadelphia and not by bJ any legislation of congress authorizing the minting of the cent piece The motto was subsequently stamped on our silver slIver half and quarter dollars the mint thus boldly declaring the theological status of the country regardless of the constitutions attitude i ion on the subject |