Quote:
Originally posted by Mobycat:

It was placed on coinage during the 50s, at the height of McCarthyism. Same with placing "one nation, under God" in the pledge.
Actually, (not to give too much ammo to the conservatives on here, dammit...I hate to do this...) but "In God We Trust" first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin.

You can read about it on the U.S. Treasury Website.

"In God We Trust" was made the national motto in 1956, but the saying had been on money for nearly 100 years by that point.