Two phrases appear consistently on US coinage and paper money. Here they are explained.

The phrase "E Pluribus Unum" is Latin and means, "from many, one," signifying the formation of one great nation from many people, and from the thirteen original states. In July 1776 it was proposed by a committee of Congress for inclusion on the official seal for the United States of America. Six years later, the Great Seal was created with E PLURIBUS UNUM included.
The motto was first placed onto US gold coins in 1795, and was added to some silver coins in 1798. In the 1830s it was removed from both but an 1873 Congressional act made it a permanent requirement for all coins of the United States. Of note, "E Pluribus Unum" consists of thirteen letters.

"In God We Trust" was made the national motto of the United States in 1956, but was first proposed for inclusion on coins during the Civil War, after many devout people urged the government to recognize God on its coinage. The motto appeared first on the US Two-Cent coin which was minted from 1864 to 1873. Since 1938, all United States coins have borne the inscription. It was first used on paper money in 1957.

Recommended Resources

Websites
CoinFacts.com	Website
Federal Reserve Bank coin information	Website
US Treasury Dept. Q&A about "E Pluribus Unum"	Website
US Treasury Dept. article on "In God We Trust"	Website

Books and Other Media
The "Red Book" of United States Coins	Story of "In God We Trust"	Christian Tour Guide	In God We Trust	Book by Satirist Jean Shepherd

Other Sites of Potential Interest (content selected automatically)

Test Your Knowledge
This test covers the information in this article.  Read each question and decide in your head what the answer is.  Click the empty cell in the last column to see the correct answer.

E PLURIBUS UNUM + IN GOD WE TRUST	"E pluribus unum" is a phrase in what language?	Latin
	What does it mean?	"From many, one"
	When did its inclusion on all US coins become a requirement, according to a Congressional act?	1873
	Is "In God We Trust" the official national slogan, brand, motto, or philosophy of the United States, and in what year did this become official?	Official national motto, since 1956
	On which US coin did "In God We Trust" first appear?	On the US Two-Cent Piece, beginning in 1864
	In what decade of the 20th century did it first appear on US paper money	In the 1950s (1957, the year after it became the official national motto)

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