Have you just discovered In Cod We Trust quarter 2023? So how did this mistake offend a certain part of the population and what is its significance for everyday use?
The idea to put the phrase “In God We Trust” onto the money started many years ago, when the people of the country were feeling worried about a war.
So Reverend M. R. Watkinson wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury and suggested that the country should have a clear sign of God on the coins — for everyone to see during a difficult time.
The Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase liked this idea, and he told the Director of the Mint to start thinking about a good way to put this phrase on the money.
The Director of the Mint began to look at different ideas and different coins where the motto could fit as the coins are small, and it is sometimes hard to put many words on them, so they had to make sure the words were clear and easy to read for everyone, especially for whose used the money for buying and selling food and other necessary things in their daily lives.
The Motto Is Everywhere
The phrase “In God We Trust” first appeared on a coin that was not the quarter, but a smaller two-cent piece, and after this, the phrase began to show up on many other coins, as the people liked the idea.
So the motto became a regular part of many gold and silver coins over the next few years, helping it become a well-known symbol across the whole nation.
The law at first only allowed it on some coins and not all of them, so for many years, some coins had the motto, and some coins didn’t — but why the motto was sometimes missing from the money — later, in the year 1956, the Congress passed a new law that made “In God We Trust” the official and clear national motto of the entire United States, and this new law also made the phrase must appear on all money, both the paper money and the metal coins.
The Washington Quarter and Its Design
The quarter has the picture of George Washington on the obverse in 1932 to celebrate the 200th birthday of the president.
You can see the large and detailed picture of Washington’s head, and around his picture there are words “Liberty” and the year when the coin was made.
The words “In God We Trust” are located under the chin, and this placement has been mostly the same for many decades
The reverse side shows an eagle, the national bird and a symbol of strength and freedom for the United States, and this eagle stands on a bundle of arrows, holding some branches of olive leaves, a symbol of peace.
And around the eagle there are the words “United States of America” and “E Pluribus Unum”.
Even though the design of the quarter has changed several times over the years, especially on the back side, the front side with George Washington and the phrase “In God We Trust” has stayed almost the same.
States, Parks, and Important Women 2020–2023
In the year 1999, the United States Mint started a very big and popular project called the 50 State Quarters Program, where they made a different quarter coin for each of the fifty states in the country.
So every year for ten years, five new designs came out, and the back side changed every few months — it taught people about the different states, and it made the quarter coin feel new and interesting again for kids and adults.
After the 50 State Quarters Program ended, the Mint started another similar program, the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which began in the year 2010 and ended in the year 2021.
And this program showed different national parks across the country, and the last quarter in this series was made in 2021, and it showed the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in the state of Alabama.
Starting in the year 2022, the Mint began the American Women Quarters Program, which will continue until the year 2025 — the back side of the quarter shows important American women who worked for civil rights or people who worked in science and art.
- The year 2022 quarters honored five women: Maya Angelou, who was a famous writer; Sally Ride, who was the first American woman to go into space; Wilma Mankiller, who was a great leader of the Cherokee Nation; Nina Otero-Warren, who worked for women’s voting rights; and Anna May Wong, who was a famous actress.
- The year 2023 quarters honored five different women: Bessie Coleman, who was the first African-American and Native-American woman pilot; Edith Kanakaʻole, who was a master teacher of Hawaiian culture; Eleanor Roosevelt, who was a First Lady and worked for human rights; Jovita Idár, who was a Mexican-American journalist and activist; and Maria Tallchief, who was a very famous Native-American ballerina.
| Year | Event of the Motto or Coin Program | Detail about the Coin |
| 1864 | Motto first used on a coin | Appeared on the two-cent piece during the Civil War |
| 1932 | Washington Quarter begins | Design with George Washington’s picture is first used |
| 1956 | Motto made the national law | Congress passed a law making “In God We Trust” the official national motto and requiring it on all money |
| 1999 | 50 State Quarters Program starts | The back side of the quarter starts changing to show each of the fifty states |
| 2021 | America the Beautiful Quarters end | The program showing national parks ended, and the last quarter showed the Tuskegee Airmen site |
| 2022 | American Women Quarters Program starts | The back side starts changing to honor important American women who made great contributions |
| 2023 | American Women Quarters Program continues | Five new quarters were made to honor five more important American women |
Errors and Special Coins
- “IN COD WE TRUST” ‘Mistake’ : The letter “G” in “God” looks like a “C” (Cod), the middle line of the “G” wears away or dirt fills it up.
- Example Price: $18-$25.
- Quarters with “W” Mint Mark: They have the “W” sign. Most quarters have “P” or “D” signs.
- Example Price (Much Used): $15-$30.
- Example Price (Very Good): $50-$75.
- Example Price (Perfect, UNC): $100 and more.
- “Extra Leaf” Error: This is a mistake on the Wisconsin State Quarter 2004 — a small, extra leaf shape appeared on the corn.
- Example Price (Low Leaf): $50-$100.
- Example Price (High Leaf): $150-$300.
- Example Price (Certified Perfect): $500 and more.
- “Doubled Die Errors”: The words or picture look a little blurry or double because the stamping tool hit the coin two times.
- Example Price (Small Doubling): $10-$50.
- Example Price (Clear Doubling): $75-$150.
- Example Price (Very Strong Doubling): $200 and more.
So, the motto “In God We Trust” has become a part of history, despite the confusion with COD, every quarter brings ordinary people closer to great self-experiences, motivates and makes them proud of their country.